He wanted to help lead Australia to Olympic wins as he did on Saturday with 18 points in an 87-66 trampling of France in the first basketball game of the tournament. Luc Longley the former National Basketball Association player and current Australia assistant coach said Bogut said told him several times he was determined to get healthy for Rio. “This was to play for Australia”. Bogut repeatedly rolled to the basket and caught passes for layups in a game that evoked memories of his 11-of-12 shooting against Air Force as a Ute sophomore in 2005.
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Andrew Bogut starred for the Boomers against France. He also had five assists and four rebounds. “We knuckled down defensively”. In 24 minutes, Baynes had 14 points and eight rebounds, six of which were offensive, which set the tone for the game.
“I know how much it means to him to pull on the green and gold”, guard Matthew Dellavedova said. The Australians were thrilled to open pool play with a win, especially against a higher-ranked foe. “It was more a shot at the International Olympic Committee to get out of the penthouse suites and get things rolling a little bit better”.
The game featured three Jazzmen, with Ingles being the only one to earn a win.
“Between Delly (Dellavedova), Patty, Kevin Lisch even through Damian Martin, just making it tough for him, to wear him out over the course of 40 minutes”.
He said he was upset about missing it, adding “that would have been my (third) if I played in that one”.
“We were disappointing in the second half, maybe took our foot off a little bit”. “There is no flash, no show, just comes out and plays that kind of big man game”.
But the story on Saturday was Bogut.
This is a big stat line for the veteran big man as he went against arguably the best defensive center in the Olympics in Rudy Gobert.
On Saturday he said he did not mean to insult Brazil in the tweet, that it was aimed toward International Olympic Committee officials who he wanted to get “out of their penthouses” to see what athletes were dealing with. “We’ll be better next game”. We need to be physical.
“I apologise to the people of Brazil”.
Bogut, who now has an extended bed and extra pillows, said he wasn’t having a dig at Brazil or organisers.
“They’re trying to get things right (for the athletes)”, he said. He said ever since his tweet, workers have been coming to his room daily to see if anything needs fixing. I never intended that to be a shot at them.
“Utah is part of my journey and part of being in the National Basketball Association and being an Olympian”, he said.
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“It’s been mentally and physically tolling to try and make this”, Bogut said.
