Team USA loses to Australia in pre-Tokyo 2020 exhibition match
Basketball powerhouse is defeated for second game in a row in Tokyo 2020 warm-up series; Team USA face France in their opening match at the Olympic Games on 25 July, Australia against Nigeria on the same day
Basketball
Team USA has lost its second straight basketball exhibition game, falling to Australia 91-83 in Las Vegas.
The loss comes three days after the Americans were beaten by Nigeria in one of the biggest upsets in men’s international basketball play.
The overwhelming favourites to win the gold medal in Tokyo, Team USA had lost just four times since the 1992 Dream Team and had a record of 54 wins and two losses in exhibition games before the back-to-back defeats.
Team USA began the second of the five Olympics warm-up games with a spring in their step. They won the first two quarters to finish the first half with a nine-point lead.
Damian Lillard led the way in the first half with 16 points, while Australia struggled to find any real offensive because of Team USA's defensive pressure and intensity.
But Australia bounced back in the third quarter to take a five-point lead.
The fourth quarter continued along the same lines as the third with lots of end-to-end play.
Team USA’s Kevin Durant was on fire, seemingly scoring at will. He scored 16 points, including four three-pointers.
With five minutes to play, the game was tied at 80-80.
Australia went on a golden run late on, thanks to the talismanic Patty Mills.
The 32-year-old scored nine points in the fourth quarter, as the Australians went on an 11-1 run to end the game 91-83.
Australia had beaten the USA men’s basketball team just twice ever before this match. And this win sent a message to the world that they are a serious challenger for the gold medal in Tokyo.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 basketball tournament begins on 25 July.