MANILA – Australia Boomers held Team United States of America (USA) without a basket in the final four minutes to score a 91-83 upset in a pre-Tokyo Olympics exhibition basketball game on Monday (Tuesday in the Philippines) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Trailing 82-80 on a layup by Team USA’s Jayson Tatum, the Boomers leaned on an 11-1 finishing rampage spearheaded by Patty Mills to secure the come-from-behind stunner.
Mills, a backup guard for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association, spearheaded Australia’s offense with 22 points, as they notched their second triumph in as many matches in the five-game exhibition at the Mitchelob Ultra Arena.
Utah Jazz three-point gunner Joe Ingles added 17 points for the Boomers, while Philadelphia 76ers forward Matisse Thybulle and Chris Goulding contributed 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
Team Australia is now 2-28 all-time against the Team USA in the senior men’s national competition. The other Australian win over the Americans came in a pre-World Cup exhibition in 2019.
Team USA surged to an eight-point advantage at the start of the game via five straight points by Keldon Johnson. The gap stretched to 46-35 at the half behind hits from Damian Lillard in the second quarter.
The Americans were ahead by 10 in the third quarter following Lillard’s three-pointer, but the Australians responded with a 19-6 scoring blast capped by Goulding’s three-pointer for a 69-64 lead.
The American bounced back in the fourth quarter to score 82-80 before held by the tough defense of the Australians the rest of the way.
Lillard top-scored with 22 points, while Kevin Durant chipped in 17 markers, and Bradley Beal contributed 12 points for the three-time defending Olympic gold medalists, Team USA.
This was the second consecutive defeat of the Gregg Popovich-mentored Team USA in the exhibitions after sustaining a 90-87 defeat to Nigeria last Saturday./PN
