Team USA executed in the late going and survived a game Australia team for a 98–92 men’s basketball exhibition victory in a pre-Olympics showcase on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
Former St. Mary’s College star Patty Mills connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to pull the Boomers within 86–80 during a 0-for-7 shooting stretch for Team USA. But after Australia missed a 3 and two point-blank tries to cut the lead further, Tyrese Haliburton connected on corner 3s on consecutive possessions for a 92–80 Team USA advantage.
Devin Booker iced the game with a pair of free throws, and went 7-for-7 from the line. Australia’s Jock Landale powered in a layup off of a sideline out-of-bounds play with 10 seconds left. Landale, who led Australia with 20 points and seven offensive rebounds, went to the bench with his team down 94–90.
With U.S. Coach Steve Kerr shuffling his starting lineup after halftime, Australia competed deep into the second half with surprising success, scoring in the paint but unable to contain Team USA’s big men.
Anthony Davis had 17 points and 14 rebounds and helped the U.S. overcome a stagnant second half. After a potent start, Anthony Edwards cooled in the second half and the U.S. battled self-inflicted wounds with empty possessions and 18 turnovers.
Team USA had 15 turnovers last week in an exhibition victory over Canada. Australia was 4 of 18 from 3-point range.
Josh Giddey’s left-side drive for a layup led to a three-point play for Australia and made it an 86–75 game, answering the U.S. run with LeBron James facilitating as the point guard.
Turnovers and lineup changes revealed chemistry among the deep and talented American roster that remained a work in progress with 12 turnovers in the first six minutes of the third quarter, sparking a 14–2 Australia run that trimmed the U.S. lead to 67–55.
Edwards had the answer. He crossed right to left, got downhill to the rim and finished with a soft layup for a traditional three-point play. After another Australia bucket at the other end, Joel Embiid collected a feed from Jayson Tatum to complete his own three-point play.
Booker helped spark the U.S. run to open the second half with a running bank shot, 3-pointer, and steal that led to a Davis putback and stretched Team USA’s lead to 64–41 less than three minutes into the third quarter.
The U.S. played the power game with Embiid and moved the ball with precision outside the 3-point line in a blatant pick-your-poison challenge to Australia. Embiid established position in the paint with ease and even drained a pull-up 3 of his own to put the Boomers in a 49–33 hole with 1:50 to play in the second quarter.
James made a 3-pointer to start the Team USA scoring and knocked down another a few possessions later, part of an 8-of-19 outside shooting display in the first half. Australia received 13 points from Landale in the first 20 minutes and trailed 53–37 at halftime.
Edwards didn’t miss in the first quarter, connecting on three 3-pointers and all four shot attempts for 11 of Team USA’s 32 points.
The second game in the Abu Dhabi showcase pits Serbia and Team USA—members of the same Olympic pool in Paris—on Wednesday, with the U.S. scheduled for two more exhibition games in London before the Olympics.
