Joe Ingles was furious with Australia’s performance in the men’s basketball on Friday after it crashed out of the semi-finals in Rio following a heavy loss to Serbia. Spain lost its first two games to Brazil and Croatia, then rolled off four straight wins – including a 25-point beatdown of longtime rival France in the quarterfinals – to meet the U.S.in the semifinals.
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But while their golden dreams have been shattered, they still have a chance to become the first Australian men’s team to win an Olympic medal.
Nine Australian Olympic athletes had their passports returned on Sunday, a team official said, after an accreditation problem at the Rio Games earlier saw them risk missing their flight home.
“Very disappointed that our athletes had to go through what they did go through last night”, Ms Chiller told reporters on Saturday.
Andrew Bogut, who worked his way to Brazil after suffering a knee injury in the NBA Finals, had just four points and couldn’t carve out any space in the lane.
“But coming out of this game and this tournament, is that it’s no longer belief in what we can do – it’s knowing that we can do it now”. “It’s disappointing to have that kind of game, but that’s tournament basketball”.
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“We have another game for a medal and we need that medal”.
Even with political uncertainty at the time, the Serbians had their most recent heyday in the 1990’s and early 2000’s which included a silver medal in the 1996 Olympics, and Gold Medals in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups which long-time National Basketball Association star Peja Stojakovic was part of. “You have one bad game out of seven and you’re kind of out”. “To limit one team like Australia to 15 points in the first half is something wonderful, nearly impossible, but we did it”.
The Aussies have four players who have won National Basketball Association crowns, including Bogut, guards Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova and forward Aron Baynes. Australia shot 33 percent from the field, including 13 percent (4-of-31) on threes.
“They’re a No.2 team in the world and we took it right to them, right down to the last defensive possession of the game at an Olympics”, said Mills.
They obviously learned from the first time we played them. The Aussies tried to come back, but whether it was layups, mid-range jumpers or 3s, they just kept missing and missing and missing. “Ole” every time Serbia passed the ball as the frustrated Aussies scrambled trying to stop them. However, Australia fought back and a 10-0 run got them within 40-38 at half-time.
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“It would be a big success if we win”, said Spain forward Nikola Mirotic.
