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Friday, March 29, 2024

Australia hands US 2nd straight loss

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Los Angeles— The United States men’s team suffered its second straight shocking loss on Monday, losing  91-83 to Australia in a pre-Olympic friendly tournament in Las Vegas.

Dante Exum of the Australia Boomers is guarded by Zach LaVine of the United States during an exhibition game at Michelob Ultra Arena ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in Las Vegas, Nevada. Australia defeated the United States, 91-83. AFP

The Americans, whose roster includes a host of NBA all-stars, also lost 90-87 to unheralded Nigeria on Saturday and have now lost four of their last five games dating back to the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where they finished an embarrassing seventh.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was held to 17 points for the second consecutive game, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers finished with a team-high 22.

Patty Mills, of Canberra, scored 22 points, and Adelaide’s Joe Ingles scored 17 for the Aussies, who shot 53 percent from the floor as a team in the tuneup event for the Tokyo Olympics.

Australia outscored the US 6-0 in the final 30 seconds. Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum threw up an airball in the final minute, and Durant missed a three-pointer in the waning seconds.

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Australia, one of the favorites to reach the podium in Japan, has never beaten the US in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament in eight tries dating back to 1964. Monday’s exhibition win comes 33 years after the US defeated the Boomers 78-49 to win the bronze medal in Seoul, South Korea.

The United States were without three players still active in the NBA finals.

The United States, who have won three Olympic men’s basketball titles since earning bronze in 2004, are looking to regain global dominance after finishing in seventh at the 2019 World Cup.

Meanwhile, 3 years after being the top pick in the NBA Draft, 22-year-old Bahamian big man Deandre Ayton has fine-tuned his talents and made the Phoenix Suns a championship contender.

Ayton scored 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Suns’ game-one NBA Finals win but struggled with foul trouble for the first time in the playoffs in a game three loss as Phoenix carries a 2-1 lead into Wednesday’s fourth game of the best-of-seven series at Milwaukee.

The Suns, who hadn’t reached the finals since 1993, could win their first title since joining the league in 1968.

Ayton shakes off pre-game goose bumps with a routine that locks him in upon the on-court challenges.

“I really just take three deep breaths, close my eyes and after that, the whole arena is really empty,” he said. “I just see my teammates and my coaches. There’s a task at hand after that.” 

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