Team USA will be out for revenge this Friday when they take on the Australians for the second time this week. The Boomers got the better of the Americans in the initial meeting, so a big fightback from Kevin Durant and company could be in store for basketball fans. Check out our preview of this game below.
Kevin Durant and the Americans do not have to wait a long time for a chance to avenge their 91-83 loss to Australia last Monday. Damian Lillard led Team USA in that game with his 22 points and six 3-pointers, while Durant had 17 points. The thing with Team USA is that the roster is so deep that anyone could be the top scorer on any given game. They have guys like Zach LaVine, Jayson Tatum, and Bradley Beal who can all have success while opposing defenses put their focus on Durant. The Americans are also fired up now after getting their first win of these exhibition games against the Argentinians on Tuesday to the tune of a 108-80 score. They’re making progress in terms of playing better as a team and that improved cohesion sounds bad news for Australia.
The Australians are ready for the rematch against Team USA, and they showed that with a dominant 108-69 win over Nigeria on Tuesday in Las Vegas. The win becomes even more impressive for the Boomers when you consider the fact that they sat out some of their key players. Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, and Matthew Dellavedova all didn’t play in that game, but Australia still managed to knock down 18 3-pointers. Chris Goulding led Australia with 21 points on the strength of a perfect 7-of-7 line from behind the arc. Josh Giddey gave everyone a preview of what he can do once he makes it to the NBA with 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 24 minutes. Mills and Ingles should be available against Team USA. Mills was the biggest thorn in the side of the US in that game, as the San Antonio Spurs guard had 22 points, while Ingles chipped in 17 points. The Australians will not back down.
