Confident heading into the game after remaining 4-0 in their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games campaign, The Australian Boomers were looking to break their loosing streaking against the USA, yet to beat the basketball powerhouse on the Olympic stage.  

The Boomers came out firing in the first quarter of the match and despite the USA opening the scoring, Joe Ingles was the one to start the Australian scoring with two long 3-point baskets in a row to give the Boomers a very early lead. However, the Australian seemed to be jittery and found themselves in early foul trouble which levelled the score again after three minutes of play.  

But the Australians were quick to settle into the form that had allowed them to storm into the semi-finals, with strong defence forcing some USA fouls which allowed the Boomers to take score to 11-6. NBA superstar Kevin Durant was active early for the USA, giving the Boomers trouble at both ends of the court but some big shots from both Patty Mills and Dante Exum pushed the Australian lead out to 8 points, while Jock Landale’s defensive pressure continued to prevent the USA from responding, the Boomers in the lead 24-18 at the first break. 

The great plays and Aussie strength continued in the second quarter with Chris Goulding making a big three-point shot, his great ring presence also drawing a foul. A string of fouls looked like it could derail the Australians, but they held their composure and Exum nailed a huge three followed by another run of points from Patty Mills, Matisse Thybulle and Jock Landale pushed the Boomers lead out to 41-26 halfway through the second.  

However, after another Australian foul, the USA offence’s intensity suddenly increased, causing turnovers for the Boomers, the USA launching into a scoring run that saw them close the margin and the Australian’s were hanging on to just three points at half-time, 45-42, Kevin Durant with 15 points on the board in the first half. 

“I’m certainly not going to be in the room with my head hung,” Coach Brian Goorjian said post game. 

“We showed what the Olympics is about, you’ve got an opportunity to show what your team, what your country is about and we’re scrappers, we are a team that gets the most out of what we have got.  

“We try to play basketball the right way and when you are talking about our performance right now, I love the way we played, I thought we did it right. The problem was trying to do that for 40 minutes against a team like this (the USA).  

“The additions from when we played them last time, Booker, Miller and Holiday, just gave that more bite so I thought Drew Holiday is a huge piece for them that was missing, and they got two more lengthy shooters to add to it.  

“I thought the first three quarters, into the second quarter we controlled the tempo we didn’t let them push the ball down our throat, we went through the process of moving the ball and shooting the ball against the shot clock and they just kept rotating bodies and that process just got harder and harder.  

“It’s unique to the competition because everybody else we played is their ability to switch one through five and not get an advantage there. So, my hats off to team USA and the job that Popovich, who is world class, the best in the business, they are as a team as good as they have been in three Olympics now.” 

Unfortunately for the Boomers, it was all downhill in the second half, the Boomers returning to the court flat after the main break and the USA’s ball movement at both ends of the court saw them continue to lift and the Australian’s struggled to counter the American’s offensive plays. Mills and Nic Kay did their best to keep the Boomers in touch with the USA’s scoring onslaught, but a 32-10-point quarter saw the USA take a commanding 55-74 lead at the last break.  

Despite the Boomers efforts, they were unable to settle back into their rhythm in the final quarter, the USA just too good for the Aussies as they struggled to get rebounds and convert shots to points on the board. Kevin Durant led the scoring for the USA with 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists, backed up by Devin Booker’s 20 points while Patty Mills and Dante Exum were Australia’s top scorers with 15 and 14 points respectively. Ultimately the USA were too good for the Boomers and the Australian’s went down 78-97. 

“We are going to a place where the country has never been before, a proud tradition of basketball but we have never medalled,” Goorjian added.  

“For us right now, let’s wipe it, get up in the morning, wash your face and get ready for this next one which is as important as any of us, players, coaches, staff, have been involved in.” 

“We fought throughout the game, gave ourselves a good chance early in the game however the defence and their switching took out a few of our things that we wanted to really go at and their ability to do that for 40 minutes won out in the end,” Nic Kay said. 

“It was a tough fought game, but we have to stick together and have to bounce back for this next one. Obviously, a huge game, this next one, and we have a chance to win a bronze, so we are going to go out there and give it our all and we are excited for that.” 

The Boomers will now regroup over the next 24 hours and immediately turn their attention to their next match were they will fight for bronze against  Slovenia on Saturday 7 August at 9pm AEST. 

Shannon Knaus