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Orlando Magic forward Andrew Nicholson joined Canada's Senior Men's National Team for two friendly matches against Jamaica in the 2013 Jack Donohue International Classic. The two teams played Thursday and Saturday, with Canada coming up victorious in both contests despite Nicholson's inefficient offensive play.
Nicholson started both games, which contests are designed as tune-ups in advance of the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship. That event, in turn, serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In Thursday's 81-72 win, Nicholson shot 4-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-4 from the foul line for nine points in 23 minutes. He also tallied four rebounds, three turnovers, and three fouls. Holly MacKenzie of The Canadian Press writes that Nicholson "got tangled up with Jamaica's Samardo Samuels" and that teammates had to separate the two players. The confrontation between Nicholson and Samuels "fired up Canada," according to MacKenzie.
Nicholson had another rough outing in the second exhibition, finishing 5-of-17 from the floor--after a 5-of-6 start--for 13 points in 26 minutes. The Mississauga, Ontario native also had two rebounds, two turnovers, and four fouls as Canada rallied from a 17-point deficit to earn a 77-72 win.
Nicholson, who averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a rookie, will begin his second Magic season in October, with training camp opening on the first of that month. The FIBA Americas tournament starts August 30th and runs through September 11th.
The author wishes to thank Holly MacKenzie for providing assistance in researching this post.
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