Dante Exum has been cleared to characteristic within the Boomers’ Olympic marketing campaign after scans on his injured finger revealed a compound dislocation, however no fracture.
The guard’s damage scare was a regarding subplot to a different stirring Boomers win, with Australia edging Video games hosts France 83-82 on Sunday night time (Monday AEST) to finish a confidence-boosting Olympics lead-up.
Dyson Daniels made a troublesome lay-up from Josh Giddey’s inbound go with lower than two seconds on the clock to win the sport in Orleans, south of Paris.
It adopted spectacular defeats of Puerto Rico and Serbia, in addition to a six-point loss to a full-strength United States, since Brian Goorjian settled on his remaining 12.
However there have been severe issues for Exum, who left the sport within the second quarter with a finger damage.
These have been allayed by Australian chef de mission Anna Meares on Monday, with the previous monitor biking champion assured the 29-year-old will characteristic.
“Any time one in every of your key items goes down there’s some extent of concern,” teammate Jock Landale stated.
“They’ve cleared him for play and Dante’s a fairly robust particular person … he’s positively a key piece of the puzzle for us.”
Coach Brian Goorjian stated their build-up to Saturday’s Olympics opener in opposition to world No.2 Spain had been about drilling into the squad, particularly new items Giddey and Daniels, how they needed to win.
“We’re not going to tolerate the non-toughness,” Goorjian stated.
“The choices have been about that; ensuring there’s no back-off and we play arduous each possession.
“We’re not good however I simply know what the opposite groups assume after they shake arms and get on the bus: ‘these guys play arduous and play collectively’.”
French star Victor Wembanyama virtually stole the win however his hurried three-point try within the remaining second bounced off the rim.
The 20-year-old, contemporary off a terrific rookie NBA season with San Antonio, completed with 17 factors, 12 rebounds and eight assists, linking properly with fellow massive Rudy Gobert within the decide and roll.
However Australia discovered a approach to curb his affect.
Patty Mills had 15 first-quarter factors to complete with a game-high 24 and Giddey (20 factors, eight assists, six rebounds) continued his sizzling type.
Daniels had 5 steals and 5 assists to go together with 14 factors, his defence resulting in a Mills four-point play within the first quarter in an indication of how the new-look Boomers wish to play.
Spain beat the Boomers by one level to win Rio bronze after which knocked them off in double-overtime within the 2019 World Cup semi-final.
The Boomers will even play Canada and Greece, with solely the highest two sides assured passage to the quarter-finals.
Mills powered the Boomers to a maiden worldwide medal, Australia claiming bronze at Tokyo’s postponed 2021 Video games.
However they battled within the 2023 World Cup and did not progress from their pool, prompting Goorjian to recall veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova for the Paris tilt.
“You simply see it, each transfer round this factor, how dangerous he needs this,” Goorjian stated of Mills.
“Once I made the (choice) strikes I made, there was an excessive amount of of that lacking.”
© AAP
