Canada's Corey Joseph vs Puero Rico's J.J. Barea (Photo : Reuters)
The third game of the final preliminary round day of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City on Friday is a match pitting popular teams Puerto Rico and Canada.
The contest will feature an exciting point guard match-up between elite NBA playmakers J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks and Corey Joseph of the Toronto Raptors.
The 5-foot-11 Barea seems to have the advantage in terms of individual production, but as a team, Joseph's young Canadian squad is expected to blow out Rick Pitino's wards with their size and speed.
Puerto Rico currently has a 1-2 record and is coming off a disappointing 74-63 loss to unheralded Venezuela, as per the tournament's official website.
The team could not contain the balanced offensive attack of Nestor Garcia's men as the Venezuelans finished the game with four of their five starters scoring in double figures. Pitino's decision to field in their big lineup backfired as their opponents outran them the whole game.
Meanwhile, top team Canada finally got their first win of the tourney with a 101-59 dismantling of lowly Cuba on Wednesday.
Jay Triano's boys were able to kick off a good start and led 30-10 by the end of the first quarter. The young Canadians surely must have learned their lesson during their 94-87 defeat in the hands of veteran team Argentina last Tuesday, as reported by Sportsnet.
Prediction: Canada wins, 90-73
Puerto Rico starting five: Jorge Bryan Diaz (C), Renaldo Balkman (PF), Ángel Daniel Vassallo (SF), Elias Ayuso (SG), José Juan Barea (PG)
Canada starting five: Kelly Olynyk (C), Anthony Bennett (PF), Andrew Wiggins (SF), Nik Stauskas (SG), Cory Joseph (PG)
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