(Lille) RJ Barrett scored 23 points as Canada edged Greece 86-79 in its first game of the men’s Olympic basketball tournament on Saturday.
Barrett scored a powerful dunk as the exclamation point of the result in the final moments of the game.
He also led his team with 32:30 of playing time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 points including a key shot that gave Canada an 82-78 lead with 42 seconds left.
The Maple Leaf then remained in control at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium.
“They’re a very good, tenacious team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We wanted to stick to our game plan. We were expecting some kind of response. [vers la fin de la rencontre]. It was about countering them more than they did at our expense.”
Dillon Brooks had 14 points.
Jamal Murray and Montreal’s Luguentz Dort each provided eight points.
Dort made two three-pointers in four attempts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points for the Greeks in the Olympiad after winning a last-ditch tournament at home.
Early in the third quarter, Canada’s lead was 56-40.
Canada was playing its first Olympic men’s basketball game since 2000. It earned its spot at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where the country won bronze.
Ranked seventh in the world, the Canadians will face the Australians (fifth) as their next rivals on Tuesday.