Canada finishes fourth at FIBA men’s AmeriCup with loss to United States

Canada’s 2025 FIBA men’s AmeriCup run is officially over, and it comes without a podium finish.

The Canadians fell 90-85 to the United States in the bronze medal game on Sunday in Nicaragua, sealing their fourth-place finish for a second consecutive showing at the tournament.

Marcus Carr and Mfiondu Kabengele led Canada’s effort with 16 points apiece on 7-of-11 and 7-of-12 shooting, respectively. NBA youngster Kyshawn George wasn’t far behind as the Swiss-Canadian chipped in 14 points and five rebounds, while the trio of Trae Bell-Haynes, Leonard Miller and Charles Bediako scored nine points each.

In a game where Canada trailed by as many as 17 points and was down 49-37 at halftime, it rallied back in the final 20 minutes. The Canadians won the third quarter (24-19) on the heels of a combined 15 points from Carr and Miller, cutting their deficit down to seven at the start of the fourth before running out of time.

And just like it cost them the night before against Argentina in the semifinals, it was Canada’s lack of three-point production that stood out in the loss. The Red and White went 4-of-24 from distance on Saturday, only to follow that up with a 3-of-17 (17.7 per cent) showing in the bronze medal game.

All the while, the U.S. sank nine more triples and converted them at a 44.4 per cent clip.

Javonte Smart and Tyler Cavanaugh fronted the Americans, each scoring a game-high 21 points on 9-of-13 and 7-of-13 shooting, respectively. Former Toronto Raptors guard Jahmi’us Ramsey chipped in 12 points while Langston Galloway added 11.

It’s the second AmeriCup in a row that Canada lost to the United States in the bronze medal game. A disappointing end considering the Canadians entered the tournament with a talented roster that was headlined by ascending NBAers in George and Miller and finished group play as the No. 1 seed after going 3-0 and carving out a plus-93 point differential.

Sunday’s loss also marked Canada’s fourth time finishing in fourth place since the tournament’s inception in 1980. The Canadian men have yet to capture gold at the AmeriCup, with six total podium finishes through 20 appearances — two silvers (1980, 1999) and four bronze (1984, 1988, 2001 and 2015).

The 2025 FIBA men’s AmeriCup wraps up on Sunday night with a showdown between defending champs Argentina and Brazil in a rematch of the 2022 gold medal game.