JAKARTA, Indonesia (Aug. 28, 2023) – The stage is set for a pivotal Group H clash for Canada's Senior Men's National Team.

Who: Canada (2-0) vs. Latvia (2-0)‍

When: Tuesday, Aug. 29, 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT

Where: Indonesia Arena - Jakarta, Indonesia

Things to know heading into Tuesday’s game against Latvia

- Two down: After Canada’s 30-point victory over France in the team's World Cup opener put the basketball world on notice, Sunday’s 55-point win against Lebanon was an exclamation mark. Canada dominated from start to finish in the win, shooting 71 percent from the floor and 18-for-30 from beyond the arc as nine players finished in double figures and all 11 players who were available to play scored at least six points. 

- Setting records: Canada set a new World Cup record in the win by recording 44 assists on 50 made field goals. The Canadians broke their own record of 37, set back in 2019.

“The guys trusted the pass, trusted their teammates and it’s just beautiful to see that,” Fernández said. “When you can set a record it just says a lot about what these guys are trying to do. Obviously, they believe in themselves, but they show up every day and work very hard. That’s what matters the most.” With just three players on Canada’s roster having previous World Cup experience, the chemistry and connection the team has shown through the first two games has been impressive. “Since we’ve gotten here, we’ve been passing the ball really well, sharing the ball really well,” Trae Bell-Haynes said. “I think this game, we had a ton of assists so I think we’re growing offensively, trusting each other more. When you have a new group that’s kind of the hardest thing, but we’re doing that now.”

- Seeding on the line: With Canada and Latvia both winning each of their previous two games and advancing to the second round, Tuesday’s meeting will determine the seeding. While Canada enters Tuesday’s meeting after dominating in their first two games, Latvia followed up a 39-point victory over Lebanon with a thrilling 88-86 comeback victory against France on Sunday. Latvia trailed by 12 to start the final quarter, but outscored France 26-12 in the fourth to secure the victory.

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- Looking ahead to Latvia: After notching their blowout victory against Lebanon, Canada quickly shifted their focus to Latvia.

“Right now we have Latvia in our minds,” Team Canada head coach Jordi Fernández said. “We have to prepare for them. We’re going to play really hard against them for 40 minutes because they’re very good. We need that to grow. We don’t have the experience and we challenge ourselves to a high standard. Yes, I'm happy with what we’ve done [in our first two games], but what we’ve done is in the past. It reinforces, it gives you confidence, but you need that next challenge and that next challenge is in front of us.”

-  Looking ahead: Canada leads all teams at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup with a staggering +85 point differential heading into Tuesday’s game. After their 30-point victory against France to open play in Jakarta, Canada dominated in a 55-point, 128-73 win against Lebanon on Sunday. While Tuesday’s matchup against Latvia will determine second round seeding, results from the opening round will carry over into the second round where every team will play against the two teams in their group that they did not face in the first round. The top two teams from each group in the second round will then advance to the medal round.

- Full-team effort: Canada’s reserves played a massive role in Sunday’s victory against Lebanon. The stellar play of guards Bell-Haynes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker allowed Fernández to play Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just 17 minutes, with no Canadian logging more than 20 minutes of action. Bell-Haynes and Alexander-Walker combined to score 25 points on 9-of-14 field goals to go with 15 assists. RJ Barrett led the team with a game-high 17 points, while Melvin Ejim had 13 points, and Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Olynyk and Zach Edey scored 12 points apiece. Kyle Alexander and Dillon Brooks added 10 points apiece in the blowout win.

“Everybody has been talking about how talented we are, but that’s not the definition of a team,” Fernández said. “These guys have approached every single day since August 1 to build a team. That goes with a walking tour in Granada, guys together playing cards, they hang out, they enjoy spending time together. At the end of the day, that chemistry is going to show up on the court and so far that’s what you guys see. Guys that compete together, that have the same goal, that support each other no matter what.”

- Where to watch: Fans in Canada can catch all of the action live on Sportsnet, as well as streaming on SN Now.