United States’ Kevin Durant, center, shoots over Australia’s Cameron Bairstow, left, and Matthew Dellavedova, right, during a basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016.
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Bogut finished with 15 points for the Australians (2-1), who talked confidently of their chances in these Olympics.
The Boomers have been the early giant-killers in Rio de Janeiro with clinical dispatches of the more highly rated France in game one and then Serbia yesterday morning. The Olympics are underway.
Olympics: The Boomers rattle Team USA in a tight fixture, while the Aussie’s fall short in the Rugby Sevens against South Africa.
“It was but not really, we were disappointed”, he said.
Carmelo Anthony of the U.S. celebrates a three point shot against Australia.
Carmelo Anthony became the leading Olympic scorer of the United States men’s basketball team in a 98-88 win over Australia at the Rio Olympic Games here on Wednesday.
Irving – born in Australia – added 19 points, including a three-pointer with 1:35 left after Australia had closed within four. “That’s the only way a team is going to get us out of our comfort zone is to muddy the game, doing little stuff to get to us”.
Besides the USA, Australia has the most National Basketball Association experience in the Olympic Games.
The first American male basketball player to appear in four Olympics, Anthony also passed LeBron James as the most prolific scorer to ever wear a U.S. jersey.
Australia’s Patty Mills said: “It was very tough, very physical”.
After blowout wins over China and Venezuela to open pool play, USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said the Olympic tournament had now moved up a level for the Americans.
USA’s leading scorer Carmelo Anthony scored 27 of his game-high 31 points from behind the 3-point line.
The Americans, so carefree in their opener that reserves DeMar DeRozan and Jimmy Butler played rock, paper, scissors to determine who would shoot a free throw, realized they were in a fight in this one.
“This is the real world now and that’s good for us”, coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “It definitely got real”.
The look afterward of relief on the faces of some USA players told the story as well as anything.
Bogut finished with 15 points for the Australians, who have never won a medal but four of their players own National Basketball Association rings. They almost became the first team to knock off the Americans in the Olympics since Krzyzewski took over in 2005. The Americans clinched a spot in the medal round with the victory.
The U.S. (3-0) has been scoring at a record pace, topping 100 points for the third consecutive game. They quickly blew away Venezuela after it was 18-18 Monday, but the only second-quarter surge in this one was made by the Australians.
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“Thanks to Golden State Warriors” Draymond Green’s three-point play at the end of the third quarter which made US move out to a narrow 70-67 lead.
