Canada break FIBA Basketball World Cup assist record, dominating Lebanon

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) — Canada set a new FIBA Basketball World Cup single-game record on Sunday with 44 assists as they pummeled Lebanon 128-73.

Five players on the winning side made five or more assists in the Group H game at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta, the capital of the Southeast Asian country, and helped Canada become the first team to rack up over 40 assists in a single World Cup match.

Canada equaled the previous record of 37 against Jordan after Serbia recorded 37 themselves in the 2019 tournament.

They won their second game in a row to lead their group, while Latvia and Lebanon follow Canada with two points each and France place fourth with 1 point.

- Four sides make it to round 2, four eliminated

Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Montenegro were the first four teams to reach the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Germany beat Australia 85-82 in Group E, while Latvia shocked France 88-86 in Group H to reach round two in their first-ever World Cup.

Lithuania reached the top 16 teams after a 96-66 win over Mexico in Group D, while another Group E contender, Montenegro, defeated Egypt 89-74 and followed them to next round.

Group E contenders Egypt and Mexico, along with Group H's France and Group E's Finland, have been eliminated.