USA survived a spirited effort from Australia for a 98-92 win in a pre-Olympics showcase in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Patty Mills connected on a three-pointer from the left wing and pulled the Boomers within six, 86-80, during an 0-for-7 shooting stretch for Team USA. But after Australia missed a three and two point-blank tries to cut the lead further, Tyrese Haliburton connected on corner threes on consecutive possessions for a 92-80 advantage that effectively sealed the game.
Jock Landale was the standout player for Australia, finishing with 20 points and seven offensive rebounds.
With USA coach Steve Kerr shuffling his starting lineup at halftime, Australia competed deep into the second half, scoring in the paint but they were unable to contain Team USA’s bigs. Anthony Davis had 17 points and seven rebounds and helped the US overcome a stagnant second half. The US battled self-inflicted wounds with empty possessions and 18 turnovers. The US also had 15 turnovers last week in an exhibition victory over Canada.
“Third quarter, we started turning the ball over,” Kerr said. “We gave up a ton of points at the basket. Back cuts, offensive boards and so, the game shifted. It’s a good lesson for us. Better to learn that lesson now than later. And this will be a good tape for us to watch. But I give Australia a ton of credit. They were great. They fought. They were really physical. Took it to us in the last quarter and a half and really made it a game.”
Just as in the Canada game, the US’s so-called second unit – Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Davis and Devin Booker — changed the game. That was the group on the floor when the Americans took a game that was tied at 19-19 with 3:15 left in the first and turned it into a 39-23 lead – a 20-4 run in a span of five minutes.
Kerr used that group as his starting five to open the second half. But it’s become a clear trend already: when the US go to their bench and can replace All-Stars with other All-Stars, it is a huge problem for opponents who don’t have anywhere near the same level of depth.
“The strength of our team is our depth and we have to utilize our depth,” Kerr said.
Josh Giddey (17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) piloted the Boomers confidently while Dyson Daniels (14 points), Will Magnay (eight) – the first big man used off the bench – and Jack McVeigh (nine) had an impact off the pine.
Patty Mills (five points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals) started alongside Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Landale and Japan-based Nick Kay. But the talisman’s cold shooting form continued, Mills hitting just two-of-eight attempts in 22 minutes.
“The exciting part was we got better as the game went on,” Australia coach Brian Goorjian said of the defending Olympic bronze medallists. “My job right now is to convince my team, ‘How do you win?’
“We came back with the style we wanted to play and it came through the defence. In the second half [we had] the grit, got back to the bump and grind and controlling the tempo of the game.”
The second game in the Abu Dhabi showcase pits Serbia and USA – members of the same Olympic pool in Paris – on Wednesday, with the US scheduled for two further exhibition games in London before the Olympics. Australia will also play Nikola Jokic’s Serbia before heading to France to start their Olympic campaign against Spain on 27 July.
