<embed style=\"\" 457px=\"\"\"\"\"\" 31px=\"\"\"\"\"\" class=\"\"\"\"sIFR-flash\"\"\"\" type=\"\"\"\"application/x-shockwave-flash\"\"\"\" sifr=\"\"\"\"true\"\"\&qu ot;\" bgcolor=\"\"\"\"transparent\"\ "\"\" wmode=\"\"\"\"transparent\"\&q uot;\"\" flashvars=\"\"\"\"txt=Canada\" \"\" upends=\"\"\"\"\"\" nowitzki=\"\"\"\"\"\" and=\"\"\"\"\"\" germany&textalign=\"\"\"left&textcolor=# 000000&linkcolor=#660000&hovercolor=#CCCCCC&w=457& h=31\"\"\"\" quality=\"\"\"\"best\"\"\ "\" src="http://www.tsn.ca/flash/fonts/helveticanueblacext.swf" height="" width="457">
7/28/2006 8:11:01 PM
HAMBURG, Germany (CP) - Carl English of St. John's, N.L., had 18 points to lead Canada to a 71-68 win over Germany on Friday, spoiling Dirk Nowitzki's 2006 national team debut.
The Canadians overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to win the first of a two-game exhibition series against the Germans. Jermaine Bucknor of Edmonton scored 12 points for Canada while Jermaine Anderson of Toronto and Rans Brempong of Thornhill, Ont., added 10 apiece.
Nowitzki, a star forward with the Dallas Mavericks, had eight points and four rebounds for Germany.
"This win was what we needed to increase our confidence as a team," said Canadian head coach Leo Rautins. "Everyone contributed, the second half I just let our guys go for it, we showed trust and poise down the stretch, something we have tried to instil on this trip.
"This is certainly a game to build on and lets our team know what they can do if they do it together."
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><!--drop width--><tbody><tr height="8"><td>
</td></tr><tr><td> <!-- Begin Ad --> <script type="text/javascript"> if(!sops){if(p.sops){var sops=p.sops;}else{var sops="";}} if(dUnitBox==true){boxAd=true;} if(boxAd){if((!dUnitSky)||(!dUnitSuper)||(dUnitBox )){place300x250();}} </script> <!--- End Ad --> </td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr> </tbody></table> The Canadians outrebounded Germany 46-24 overall, but trailed for most of the game before English led the fourth-quarter rally. The victory was Canada's first in four games on its European trip.
"After losing our first three games in Italy, we worked on our mistakes and made adjustments," said Bucknor. "We played hard and communicated from the beginning of the game. After being down at the half, we kept our composure and stayed together as a unit.
"We improved as a team and showed that we could play with anybody in the world."
Germany was lead by 21 points from Ademola Okulaja.
Canada will play Germany again on Sunday before moving on to the International Alpos Cup in Maribor, Slovenia
Nowitzki and Germany lose to Canada
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