FIBA Americas 2015 Semifinals Schedule & Live Stream: Canada vs Venezuela, Mexico vs Argentina
Host Mexico, Canada, Argentina and Venezuela will try to book a ticket to 2016 Rio Olympics when they play in the 2015 FIBA Americas semifinals on Friday.
Canada vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m. ET
Canada and Venezuela will face off in the first semis match of the day in Mexico City, where the Canadians are considered heavy favorites based on the result of their first encounter.
Canada, who ended up as the No. 1 seed heading into the semifinals after sweeping their second-round assignments, cruised to an easy 82-62 victory over Venezuela during the preliminary round.
The Canadian squad will once again lean on their NBA players led by 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, who averaged 15.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in their first eight games.
Nik Stauskas is also expected to carry a big load on his shoulders after averaging 13.6 points in the first two rounds. On the other hand, Cory Joseph vowed to provide the much-needed leadership in their bid to take one of the two Olympic spots at stake in the tournament.
"It would be an incredible feeling, no one on our team has gone to the Olympics, and it would be something historic for Canada and for all of us," said Joseph, who averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 assists in their first eight games.
Mexico vs. Argentina, 9:30 p.m. ET
Mexico and Argentina are also set to go toe-to-toe in the other semis match. The upcoming showdown between the two powerhouse teams is expected to be another classic, similar to their second-round match on Wednesday.
Argentina looked on their way to sweeping the first two rounds of the tournament and were about to clinch the No. 1 seeding for the semifinals, but Mexico spoiled their bid. The host erased a 13-point deficit in the final period to run away with a 95-83 win against Argentina.
Talking about their upcoming rematch on Friday, Mexico coach Jorge Gutierrez said they will show the same intensity they had during their huge rally in the fourth period of Wednesday's match.
"On Friday, we face Argentina again and we will show the same mentality and aggressiveness," Gutierrez said on Wednesday. "This team dreams of the Olympics and we will do it."
Where To Watch & Live Stream
The 2015 FIBA Americas semifinals will be shown live on ESPN on Friday night. Fans can also catch the action via online live stream on WatchESPN. Complete box scores and recap will be available on the tournament's official website after the games.
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