BASKETBALL: Game time in Japan. Nigeria was always going to be tougher than they were in Las Vegas, and it was a tight but a scrappy first term from both teams.
Friday night he carried the flag for his country and in the first game of Group B at Saitama Stadium it was Patty Mills taking centre stage in the first quarter.
Joe Ingles started the point scoring for Australia with a three before they opened up a seven-point lead thanks to eight points from Mills.
But full of flare and three pointers, the unpredictable Nigerians clawed their way back to have it all locked up at quarter time 23 apiece.
Nigeria proving they are not Africa’s number one team for nothing, it remained an incredibly tight game in the second quarter, remembering the form and stirring win over the US in Las Vegas.
BOOMERS | This is how the Australian Boomers will start their opening match against Nigeria on their quest for gold at #Tokyo2020. @BasketballAus | #TokyoTogether | #Basketball pic.twitter.com/x0tZ2HRDId
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 25, 2021
The Boomers started slowly in the second and fell behind by four points before Matthew Dellavedova dropped a three-point bomb.
Turnovers and fouls made it sloppy game at times, but overall, it remained a tight contest. The Boomers edged ahead again after another eagled eyed three pointer from Ingles and Dante Exum made his mark on the game with a dramatic dunk.
Despite Australia’s game remaining a little sloppy, the Boomers maintained a lead of 43 - 40 at the long break.
With a sharp start to the third quarter, Australia pushed out to their biggest lead of the game with three pointers for Mills and Dellavedova, and Nick Kay started to make his presence felt.
The lead stretched to 11 at one point but a misfiring Nigeria were scrambling until an odd stoppage with three minutes to go in the third quarter due to a shot clock break down, the commentator joking someone hadn’t paid their bill.
When play resumed, the Boomers weren’t helping themselves with a few fumbles and both teams having 17 turnovers in three quarters of basketball, but Australia maintained a six-point lead.
It was a stop-start final quarter but the Boomers defence held strong, an intentional foul on Dellavedova also called late in the game.
But it was all the Boomers who came away with the victory, 84-65, Patty Mills a standout with 25 points and six assists.
In the end the Boomers were not their polished best, but were comprehensive and the win was the ideal start to the Boomers Olympic campaign.
Tim Gilbert
