A Josh Giddey-inspired Boomers squad made a strong start to the Paris Olympics by beating bogey team Spain 92-80 in Lille on Saturday night.
The Boomers had not defeated Spain at the Olympics since 1988 in Seoul and lost the bronze medal match to the Spanish in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, before finally winning their first medal at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.
Veteran Patty Mills took the lead in the final seconds as Spain pulled within six points, scoring a three-pointer before Dyson Daniels finished the game with a third three-pointer.
It was a great result for the Boomers in the pool of death, which also includes medal contenders Canada and Greece.
And ESPN analyst Kane Pitman has revealed that coach Brian Goorjian used the sad history against Spain to inspire his charges to an important victory.
‘Brian Goorjian just revealed that he showed the Boomers a video of all the sad moments from the past against Spain prior to the game,’ Pitman posted on X.
“Includes post-game interviews with Patty and Joe. He reminded the team of that video during a timeout in the fourth quarter. The Boomers then closed out the game.”
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian inspired the Aussies by showing them footage of previous broken matches against Spain
Jock Landale and Josh Giddey were key for the Boomers in a remarkable opening win
Former NBA star and Boomer Andrew Bogut praised the determination of the Australians who were eliminated in the group stage of last year’s FIBA World Championship.
“Good solid first win for Boomers. Spain makes you earn it,” he posted.
‘Jock Landale is the MVP in this one. 20, 9 and 5 with a huge +30 when you get there. Giddey also filled up the stat sheet with a near triple double.
‘I thought our defense was great, Dyson coming all over the field is a threat.
‘The last 40 seconds were crucial to increase the score and win by 12 when % plays a role,’
Giddey gave Chicago Bulls fans a brief taste of his potential in a more ball-handling role, scoring 17 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out eight assists.
While the 21-year-old committed five turnovers — a problem that continues to crop up in warmups — the Boomers are willing to accept that for now if it means he continues to play with that much confidence.
The Boomers’ victory comes in the group of death, which also includes Canada and Greece
The win also came with NBA point guard Dante Exum [dislocated finger] out and the Boomers opted not to bring in a replacement. Fans also wondered why Portland Trail Blazers star Duop Reath was not used and wondered if he was injured.
The new Spain will be missing Pau Gasol or Ricky Rubio, who tormented Australia with important victories at the 2016 Olympics and 2019 World Cup respectively.
But their meeting in Paris showed that the rivalry will continue into the next generation. Emotions flared in what was essentially a must-win match in a pool that also included medal contenders Canada and Greece.
Australia started brightly, with Dyson Daniels (13 points, seven rebounds) effective at both ends, Giddey hitting two long triples and select player Jack McVeigh (13 points, seven rebounds) providing a smooth no-look assist on a nerve-wracking first touch.
They led 18-7 after another goal from Giddey and then 38-17 when Spanish forward Usman Garuba had to make a screen on Josh Green.
Green hit back, while Will Magnay lightly hit the Spaniard on his lower back, sending Garuba off. This pushed Green and a brawl ensued.
Magnay, who was chosen to defend the Boomers, and Garuba were given technical fouls, setting off a venomous final three quarters.
Officials struggled to keep control of the game, blowing away 24 fouls in the first half.
But Nick Kay was responsible enough to remain calm after Willy Hernangomez pushed him into a tunnel and landed on his back.
The Spanish bench were then given a foul for further criticism, but this only served to level the match.
Giddey was still very good in his class. The Olympic rookie drove to the hoop and finished it off, while Australia scored only 18 points in the second quarter and led 49-42 at halftime.
Santi Aldama (27 points) was the driving force behind the Spanish response, scoring a three-pointer after an ugly turnover by Patty Mills to take their first lead.
But Mills (19 points) immediately hit back with a triple to give Australia an 8-0 win over Spain before Mills and Daniels sealed the victory with three-pointers in the final seconds.
Exum dislocated his finger during a practice match earlier this week, but the Boomers decided not to bring in a replacement at the last minute, confident he would play a role later in the tournament.
He wore sneakers and a tracksuit on the bench, while Matthew Dellavedova got an extended run while Duop Reath was out of action.
Australia play Canada on Tuesday (9.30pm AEST) and conclude their group stage match in Lille against Greece on Friday.