Canada eyes improved showing against formidable Australia in Olympic men's basketball

Improvement was the shared message after Canada's men's basketball team earned its first win at the Olympics.

The seventh-ranked Canadians topped No. 14 Greece 86-79 on Saturday in their group stage opener. The Canadians never trailed but there were a few moments where Greece chipped at the lead enough to make it a one- or two-possession game, especially down the stretch.

Canada next faces fifth-ranked Australia, the reigning Olympic bronze medallists, on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. ET.

"We know we can be better, we can play better throughout 40 minutes," Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez said Saturday. "But you've got to take it in a tournament like this, and in a group like the one that we have. We're going to face Australia, one of the best programs in the world, so we're happy with a win."

Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Saturday that Canada "did a lot of things well."

"We were the aggressors for most of the game, especially in the first half," he said. "Just closing the game a little bit better defensively. Offensively we got good looks down the stretch, we just didn't make them."

Canada and Australia currently sit at the top of Group A, also known as the "Group of Death" at the Games. The Aussies defeated No. 2 Spain 92-80 on Saturday.

WATCH l RJ Barrett leads Canada past Greece with 23 points:

"It's a tough one. But I think at the end of the day, that just helps you prepare for what's coming after," Fernandez said of playing in a difficult group. "I think that when you survive a group like this, it just makes you better.

"It happened last year [at the FIBA World Cup]. We were playing France. We had no experience. Spain, Latvia, Brazil, and I think coming out of that group just helped us prepare for the