Canada rout Puerto Rico as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stars in World Cup qualifier

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Canada to a dominant 110-84 victory over Puerto Rico on Friday as the hosts produced a record-equalling offensive display in their FIBA World Cup qualifier, according to FIBA.

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard led Canada with 26 points, adding four assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in front of his home crowd in Hamilton.

"It’s amazing. It’s special. I don’t take those opportunities for granted to be able to play in front of the people that watched me grow up and are from the same city I’m from, grew up in the same neighborhood I’m from, and went through the same experiences. It’s a special connection. It was super fun out there for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Andrew Nembhard added 23 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Dillon Brooks contributed 15 points as Canada built an early lead and never looked back.

According to FIBA, Canada matched the Americas Qualifiers record with 46 made field goals while shooting an impressive 64.8 percnet from the field.

The team also finished with 29 assists and outscored Puerto Rico 60-34, securing them first place in Group B with a perfect 5-0 record, while Puerto Rico now face a must-win game against the Bahamas to keep their hopes of reaching the second round alive.