The Australians are rolling with an undefeated 2-0 record in Group B play. Will they continue the good times with a win against Germany this Friday? Or will Germany stun the Boomers? Check out our preview of this game below.
The Boomers are proving to be too much to handle for the rest of Group B. Australia first defeated Nigeria convincingly, 84-67, before taking down Italy in a nail-biter of a game, 86-83. Australia’s rebounding was a big part of their success against Italy. The Boomers outrebounded Italy, 44-30. They also had 16 offensive rebounds, which they used to score 17 second-chance points to just five by the Italians. That was the biggest difference that titled the game in Australia’s favor. Look for the Australians to win big again on the glass against the Germans. Australia is averaging 44.0 rebounds per game so far in the tournament, while Germany is only pulling down 34.5 boards per contest. Controlling the board will be crucial for Australia because that would reduce the scoring chances of the hot-shooting Germans. Leading Australia is San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, who is averaging 20.5 points per game.
Germany bounced right back from its 92-82 loss to Italy in its opener, as it downed Nigeria in its next game, 99-92. The Germans waxed hot from the field against Nigeria, as they shot 54.0 percent from the floor and went 12/26 from deep. So far in the tournament, Germany is shooting over 50 percent from the field and is making 13.5 threes per game on 46.6 percent accuracy. Australia will have to respect Germany’s outside shooting, and that should open up lanes for German slashers. Maodo Lo is pacing Germany with 18.5 points per game, while three other players on the team are putting up at least 10 points per contest. Up against the mighty Australians, Germany will have to cut down on its errors. The Germans had 20 turnovers against Nigeria.
