US Suffers Through Second Warm-Up Match Ahead of Olympics
The United States men’s basketball team faced a tougher test than expected in their second warm-up match ahead of the Olympics, defeating Australia 92-98 in Abu Dhabi.
The Americans started strong, leading by 11 points at the end of the first quarter and by 16 at halftime. However, Australia’s push in the final quarter, led by Jock Landale and Josh Giddey, gave the US a scare. The Aussies outscored the US 31-22 in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap to just four points with a minute left.
The US team was without two key players, Kevin Durant and Derrick White, due to injuries. Steve Kerr’s rotations were also affected, with all substitutes playing 18 minutes or more. Anthony Edwards was the only player to stay hot in the final stretch, scoring 14 points.
The best performer for the US was Anthony Davis, who came off the bench and finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Devin Booker added 16 points, including the final six points for the US in the last minute.
Australia was led by Landale, who had 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Giddey came close to a triple-double with 17 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
From Walk to Suffering
The US started the game in control, leading by 11 points at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, the match looked like a walk, with the US up 37-53. However, Australia’s reaction kept things exciting until the final moments. The final period started with a 61-76 score, but Australia’s 10-0 run tightened the score to 80-86. Patty Mills missed a three-pointer earlier to bring his team within three points, but Tyrese Haliburton responded with two consecutive triples to distance the NBA.
The 80-92 score with 2:30 left seemed definitive, but Australia still had some gas left. Despite their poor 4/18 shooting from three, Landale and Giddey built a 10-2 run to stay at 90-94 with 2:30 left. Booker came to the rescue, scoring the only basket in that quarter and hitting all four of his free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.