MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – This time, former Texas star Cory Joseph made sure there was no quick decision to be made by a referee.
Faced with making a critical in-bounds pass for Team Canada with four seconds left and his team clinging to a two-point lead, Joseph got off his pass in time, and to a teammate who already had made two pressure free throws, Miami Heat center Joel Anthony.
Fouled quickly, Anthony made both free throws, rendering Francisco Garcia’s buzzer-beating 3-point basket meangless, Canaada taking a 73-72 victory.
“No repeat of March Madness, thank God,” said Joseph, called for a questionable five-second violation in the waning moments of Texas; NCAA tournament loss to Arizona in March.
Joseph was the sole Spurs-related player in action on the third day of the FIBA event. Both Manu Ginobili’s Argentine team and Tiago Splitter’s Brazilian team were idle.
Joseph has moved into the starting point guard spot for Team Canada, which gave Brazil a tough go on Wednesday. He logged 22 minutes and 19 seconds against Dominican Republic, making two of three shots and adding two steals, while committing only one turnover.