Boomers tick off first big Olympics test

The Boomers person kick-started their Tokyo Olympics with an 84-67 triumph implicit Nigeria successful Group B.

As has been the lawsuit for implicit a decennary now, seasoned constituent defender and Australian emblem bearer Patty Mills was the prima for the Boomers successful his 4th Olympics campaign.

The 32-year-old led the scoring for the Aussies, finishing the lucifer with 25 points and six assists on with 4 steals connected the antiaircraft end.

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Nic Kay added 12 points, portion Dante Exum and Joe Ingles some contributed with 11.

Patty Mills of Australia takes connected the defence of Josh Okogie of Nigeria during the preliminary rounds of the Men's Basketball lucifer betwixt Australia and Nigeria connected time 2 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Saitama Super Arena connected July 25, 2021 successful Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) (Getty)

The lucifer started disconnected with neither broadside capable to find an borderline with scores locked astatine 23 apiece aft the archetypal quarter, earlier the Boomers edged distant during the 2nd term.

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With the Boomers holding a 43-40 pb astatine the extremity of the archetypal half, they past turned it up connected the antiaircraft extremity successful the 3rd 4th by conceding lone 2 points done the opening 5 minutes of play arsenic Nigeria struggled to score.

That antiaircraft effort allowed the Boomers to skip retired to a nine-point lead, which gave the Aussies a comfy cushion to enactment with for the remainder of the match.

While Australia produced a ascendant fourth-quarter show by outscoring Nigeria by 11 points, they whitethorn number themselves a tad fortunate with their opponents having a horrible outing from the free-throw line.

Nigeria finished the lucifer 12/24 (50 per cent) from the free-throw line, with the bulk of the mediocre shooting coming done the archetypal 3 quarters. Australia lone led by six points astatine the extremity of the 3rd quarter.

Dante Exum of Australia takes connected the defence of Jahlil Okafor of Nigeria during the preliminary rounds of the Men's Basketball lucifer betwixt Australia and Nigeria connected time 2 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Saitama Super Arena connected July 25, 2021 successful Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) (Getty)

"This is simply a squad effort to get it nether our belt," Mills said aft the match.

"The moto of what we're trying to bash present is simply a squad effort and everyone played their part.

"A large squad effort tonight. We cognize this is going to beryllium a grind - crippled by crippled and our mentation was good.

"We ever speech astir building, crippled by crippled and signifier by practice. There's a batch of things we tin instrumentality retired from this crippled and amended on."

The Australian squad's extremity is to amended connected their show astatine Rio 2016, wherever they controversially mislaid to Spain successful the last fewer seconds of the bronze medal match.

Like the Australian squad, Nigeria's was besides stacked with NBA players.

Patty Mills of Australia drives to the handbasket during the preliminary rounds of the Men's Basketball lucifer betwixt Australia and Nigeria connected time 2 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Saitama Super Arena connected July 25, 2021 successful Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) (Getty)

Nigeria's 12-man squad bolsters 8 existent NBA players. Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat), Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks), Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons), Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves), KZ Okpala (Heat), Miye Oni (Utah Jazz) and Gabe Vincent (Heat).

Nigeria's caput manager Mike Brown is besides nary alien to the hoops world, with astir 2 decades of coaching acquisition successful the NBA.

The Nigerian caput manager astatine 1 signifier was the antheral successful complaint of the LA Lakers during the Kobe Bryant epoch backmost successful the 2011-12 NBA season.

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Matisse Thybulle of Australia slam dunks during the preliminary rounds of the Men's Basketball lucifer betwixt Australia and Nigeria connected time 2 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Saitama Super Arena connected July 25, 2021 successful Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) (Getty)