“That was the first real global game we’ve had”, United States coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
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United States’ DeMarcus Cousins (12) blocks Australia’s Ryan Broekhoff (9) during a men’s basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016.
He’s the leader on this team and we have a leader like that that’s going to leave it all on the floor, no matter what possession is going on throughout the game.
Australia, with a full lineup of their National Basketball Association players, started strong in the match and did not take long to have an eight points lead in the first quarter (25-17.) However, the first quarter ended tied at 29 points.
The one two punch of Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving carried the U.S.in crunch time, scoring every point in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving would finish Australia off with the final dagger, as he and Anthony would combine for 26 points in the quarter.
Patty Mills led the Boomers in scoring with 30 points, with Andrew Bogut chipping in with 15 points and 30,000 hard screens. The game was tied after the first quarter, and it wasn’t until Anthony came up with a key defensive play that momentum swung in the second quarter.
The U.S. led 56-34 at halftime.
Nando de Colo scored the first four of those points and finished with 22 to lead France.
“The Australian media is saying, ‘this is the best thing ever, you battled, we’re proud of you, ‘ but we’re disappointed”, Bogut said after Wednesday’s near-miss. The Chinese (0-3) are now unlikely to qualify for the next round. That’s the first real, real global game that we’ve played. Even with their shots not dropping, they found other ways to stay in the game.
Olympics: The Boomers rattle Team USA in a tight fixture, while the Aussie?s fall short in the Rugby Sevens against South Africa.
Durant got his first score with a tidy three to start the second term. The U.S. settled for quick three-point shots and went one-on-one too much while the Aussies played physical defense, ran their offense and got open looks. The Americans led 70-67 after three quarters. He scored 9 of 15 from 13.
Anthony, 32, first passed David Robinson (USA, 270 points) and then LeBron James (USA, 273 points) on Wednesday to earn the honour at his fourth Olympic Games.
Having steamrolled their two previous opponents, the U.S. hasn’t had to really lock in yet and the furious pressure the Boomers played at caught them off guard a little.
Aron Baynes had his worst offensive performance of the Olympics, not scoring and going 0-of-5.
But the US improved its defense and contained Bogut, who scored only four of his 17 points in the second half, enough to allow Anthony to take over.
Astou Ndour added 21 points, and guard Leticia Romero, who plays at Florida State, added 16. Australia dropped to 2-1.
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“I was in my zone”, said Anthony, who was on the 2004 team that was the last Team USA squad to lose in Olympic play.
