Boomers Annihilate Argentina to Set Up USA Semi

The Australian Boomers could not have possibly delivered a more dominant and emphatic final three quarters in the quarter finals of the Tokyo Olympic Games to beat Argentina by 38 points and set up a mouth-watering showdown with the USA.

The Boomers built some impressive momentum getting better in each appearance during the group phase with wins over Nigeria, Italy and Germany to set up the quarter-final match up Luis Scola and Argentina on Tuesday night at Tokyo's Saitama Super Stadium.

There was some nervous energy with the Boomers with Argentina up eight during the first quarter, but the Boomers soon got locked in defensively and everything flowed from there.

It got to the point where they held their opponents scoreless for more than five minutes to start the fourth term while going on a 24-0 run either side of three quarter-time on the way to quite the statement 97-59 victory against the nation who won the 2004 gold in Athens.

Most impressively for the Boomers was that every player hit the floor contributed, and scored.

Patty Mills once again top-scored with 18 points and four assists while nailing 3/4 from three-point range with the big men pairing of Jock Landale (12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals) and Nick Kay (10 points, 10 boards, three assists) again standing tall without the injured Aron Baynes.

Matisse Thybulle continues to impress with his standout defence at one end and then dynamic finishing ability at the other with another 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Joe Ingles also put up 11 points and seven assists for Australia, Dante Exum nine points, five rebounds and three assists, Nathan Sobey eight points, Chris Goulding six points on 2/3 from three, Josh Green six points on 3/3, Matthew Dellavedova three points and five assists, and Duop Reath two points and two assists.

That all means that the Boomers couldn’t be feeling any better ahead of Thursday's semi-final match up with the USA with a win guaranteeing Australia their first ever men's basketball medal.

The Boomers have beaten USA Basketball twice in exhibition matches in recent years both in Melbourne in 2019 and Las Vegas only last month, however, doing it with a spot in the gold medal match at the Olympic Games is a totally different beast.

But with the remarkable defensive intensity the Boomers showed to hold Argentina to 37 over the final three quarters, and holding them to shooting 34 per cent from the field, just six free-throws and 17 turnovers would also likely be a recipe for success against the Americans.

Mills now can't wait for the challenge that awaits on Thursday.

"It's been a long couple of years to be back to this point, for us to be the best we have to beat the best and we have that opportunity in front of us now to do that," Mills said.

"This is a challenge we have prepared for for a long time there is only one thing we are focused on and we have to get it done. Tonight showed the belief in each individual in our team and how tight this group is."

Argentina started so brightly but couldn’t match the Boomers from there with Nicolas Laprovittola top-scoring with 16 points, Gabriel Deck 12 and remarkable 41-year-old legend Luis Scola seven points and four rebounds.

It was only natural for Australia to be nervous to start the knockout phase in Tokyo given the level expectations on this team to win the country's first men's basketball medal.

After Matthew Dellavedova opened the game with a three ball, Argentina worked their way on top in the opening period including five early points to the legend Luis Scola who won gold with his country in 2004.

A couple of threes before quarter-time to Joe Ingles and Matisse Thybulle helped keep Australia close, but Argentina was still on top 22-18 after one.

Australia slipped to being down six to start the second term, but then really upped the ante on defence. They would hold Argentina to just nine points the rest of the quarter and into 10 turnovers while finding their groove offensively.

That started with triples to Thybulle, Chris Goulding and Ingles as part of an 11-0 run that saw the Boomers turn a six-point deficit into a five-point lead, and the margin was still six in their favour at the half.

Jock Landale opened the second half with a couple of massive three balls before Dante Exum took over the game for a couple of minutes with some dynamic finishes at the rim and hitting a triple. He then scored on the three quarter-time buzzer to put the Boomers up 60-48.

The fourth quarter performance was then simply remarkable from Australia, holding Argentina scoreless for more than five minutes and in that time piling on 19 points themselves in a stunning display at both ends of the floor.

It was then party time from there and Nathan Sobey came on to hit a pair of threes, Josh Green scored three buckets in-a-row and Australia geared up for the semi with the USA with the 38-point annihilation job.

TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
QUARTER FINAL

AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS 97 (Mills 18, Thybulle 12, Landale 12)

ARGENTINA 59 (Laprovittola 16, Deck 12, Campazzo 9) 

BOX SCORE