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It was ugly, it was sloppy, but it was enough for Australia to improve to a 4-1 pool record in Rio, accounting for Venezuela 81-56.
The Boomers rested Patty Mills, and only gave Matthew Dellevedova and Andrew Bogut minimal minutes.
Venezuela needed a win to make the quarters, but didn’t have enough offensively, shooting just 17 percent from the field in the first quarter.
It was all uphill from there, as they were chasing a lead for the entire game.
The likes of Ingles, Baynes and Broekhoff were solid, but it was Goulding who was the Boomers stand out, scoring 22 points. His three-point shooting looked sharp and may have earned himself some more game time in the latter rounds.
For the Boomers, we stand by and wait for results before knowing who will be the opponent in the round of eight. Either way, the Boomers are in fine form, rested, and ready to fire.
Final score:
Australia 81
Venezuela 56
Olympic Men’s basketball is back, with Australia’s Boomers finishing off their pool games against Venezuela. Join us here on The Roar for live scores from the match as well as a live blog of the game, start from 8am (AEST).
Australia has been impressive in this Olympic campaign, winning all but one game – their close loss to the USA on Thursday.
Aside from that loss, the Aussies have been brilliant in Rio, showcasing arguably the strongest Boomers team so far assembled.
Venezuela have had a rougher time in Rio, winning only one game, dispatching of China 72-68, meaning they will pose a similar challenge to the Boomers’ last fixture.
With that in mind, expect Australia to rest or give minimal game time to their big guns, in preparation for a big finals campaign.
Today is a great test of depth and gives NBL players like Damian Martin and Chris Goulding the chance to showcase their strengths ahead of the quarter-finals.
They better they perform here, the more they’ll push their case to feature for a few more minutes in the finals.
For Australia, look to guys like Cam Bairstow, Brock Motum and Ryan Broekhoff to pose the biggest threat attacking wise. The trio were very handy against China and will be relied upon again.
For Venezuela, the challenge is holding the Boomers to a minimal score. They don’t produce huge numbers offensively, so guys like John Cox, cousin of Kobe Bryant, will need to be on to be any chance.
Prediction
With all that said, the Boomers will win and should win well. Big names should get game time to keep the legs moving and will be too hot to handle.
Boomers by 25
Join us here on The Roar for live scores from the match as well as a live blog of the game, start from 8am (AEST).
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