World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers: Canada Rally From 17 Down to Beat Argentina 97-92

Canada erased a 17-point deficit and survived a late scoring flurry from Nicolas Laprovittola (190-G-1990) to beat Argentina 97-92 in a back-and-forth Second Round clash of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers on Monday at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. Argentina had built its cushion on a 13-0 run spanning the first and second quarters, but Canada steadily clawed back, tied the score in the third quarter, and eventually took control for good down the stretch.
The turning point came with 6:03 left in the third, when Kelly Olynyk (212-C-1991, college: Gonzaga)'s layup knotted the score at 59-59 after Argentina had led just moments earlier. Canada rode that momentum through a 12-6 burst that put them ahead 69-62, part of a rally that had begun all the way back at 23-40 with 8:25 left in the second quarter and carried Canada to its first lead of the night by the 6:38 mark of the third. From there, the two sides traded the advantage until Canada finally pulled clear late, building an 11-point cushion three separate times in the fourth quarter.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (196-G-1998, college: Virginia Tech) made sure it stuck, scoring all five of Canada's points in the final 33 seconds a three-pointer followed by two free throws to finish with a team-high 26 points on the night. Luguentz Dort (193-G-1999, college: Arizona St.) was nearly as important, adding 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting and sparking Canada's third-quarter surge with an 8-point outburst in just over two minutes, while Mfiondu Kabengele (207-C-1997, college: FSU) came off the bench for a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and Marcus Carr (188-G-1999, college: Texas) ran the offense with 14 points and a team-high 8 assists without turning the ball over. Argentina got a monster individual effort from Nicolas Laprovittola, who finished with a game-high 31 points and 4 assists, connecting on 8 of 12 threes and piling up 12 points in under two minutes during a first-quarter explosion, but he had no answer for Canada's closing kick.