Gold Medal Heartbreak for Aussies in 3x3 at Comm Games

Australia's men's 3x3 basketball team including NBL greats Daniel Johnson, Jesse Wagstaff and Greg Hire has missed out on gold in the most heartbreaking fashion with an incredible overtime finish in front of a remarkable atmosphere at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

It's the first time that 3x3 basketball has been included at the Commonwealth Games and what a tournament it proved to be with the most stunning of finishes with Australia and England needing overtime to decide the gold medal.

Australia and England had also played out a terrific contest in the final game of Pool B back on Sunday night with the host nation prevailing 17-12 to earn a spot in the semi finals leaving Australia needing to beat Kenya in the quarters.

Australia did come from behind on Monday night to beat Kenya 20-15 before then also defeating Scotland 20-15 while England beat Canada 13-12 in the other semi-final to set up Tuesday night's clash for gold in Birmingham.

A rocking atmosphere greeted the teams for the gold medal match up with the crowd vocally behind the host nation as you would expect, and England did score the first two baskets of the contest.

Jesse Wagstaff got Australia on the board but England led 3-1 before a Daniel Johnson one-pointer.

Australia then worked their way on top thanks to a shot from outside to Tom Wright and then soon after a pair of free-throws from Johnson ensured they were still leading 9-7 with four minutes to play.

The lead continued to exchange hands with Johnson putting the Australians back up 11-10. Eventually it was a Johnson bucket that tied scores up at 15-15 that forced overtime.

Johnson did get off a two-point attempt at the buzzer that was just off to the left and bounced off the rim and it was extra time that would determine gold at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia scored first in extra time thanks to Wagstaff before England nailed the game winning shot from beyond the arc thanks to Myles Hesson. 

It was almost a game winner seconds later from Johnson. His two-point attempt looked good and did begin to go down the net before spinning out in agonising fashion. 

Hesson grabbed the rebound, stepped out beyond the arc and knocked down the shot to win gold for England and the crowd went absolutely nuts in celebration as the Australian hearts were broken.

Disaster has struck in overtime.

England snag the gold straight out of Australia's hands.

What a performance. What a crowd. What a game.

SILVER for the Aussies.#B2022 pic.twitter.com/BCRaRro0LZ

— 7Sport (@7Sport) August 2, 2022

Johnson finished the gold medal match for Australia with seven points on 5/8 shooting with five rebounds while Wright scored five points, three boards and an assist, Wagstaff four points and four rebounds, and a wounded Greg Hire fought hard for four boards and a blocked shot.

Despite the heartbreaking way the gold medal match ended, it was a remarkably successful tournament and the Australian team should be tremendously proud of winning silver.

Across the tournament, 387-game NBL veteran and seven-time Adelaide 36ers MVP Johnson averaged a competition best of 8.0 points while shooting 34/60 overall and pulling down 20 rebounds.

Perth Wildcats captain and six-time championship winner from 416 games of experience Wagstaff averaged 5.3 points a game too while collecting 27 rebounds.

Former Sydney King and current Nunawading Spectres NBL1 South guard and 3x3 gun Wright averaged 4.3 points to go with 16 rebounds and 10 assists. 

It was a tough tournament for four-time NBL championship winner and current Rockingham Flames NBL1 West forward Hire after he got injured on the opening day, but he still fought valiantly for 11 rebounds and three assists. 

Meanwhile, in the women's 3x3 tournament, Australia secured bronze at the Commonwealth Games by beating 15-13 on Tuesday night.

While disappointed to have missed the gold medal playoff after losing in the semi finals to Canada, the Australian team of Ally Wilson, Lauren Mansfield, Lauren Scherf and Marena Whittle did well to secure bronze with the win over New Zealand.

In the thrilling bronze medal win, Whittle delivered nine points and four rebounds for Australia, Scherf four points and five boards, Wilson one point and four rebounds, and Mansfield one points, a rebound and an assist.

In the gold medal match, Canada snatched the 14-13 win over England thanks to a Sarah Te-Biasu buzzer-beater.

Australia were also in action in both gold medal match ups in the wheelchair 3x3 basketball.

In the men, Australia claimed yet another thriller on the night to beat Canada 11-9 and claim the gold medal.

It was Luke Pople once again the hero for Australia putting his team on top 11-9 with 21 seconds to play and that's where the final score stayed.

Pople finished the gold medal match scoring six points and collecting eight rebounds and delivering three assists. Lachlin Dalton added four points and three rebounds, Jake Kavanagh one point and two assists, and Kurt Thomson an assist and a block.

In the women's wheelchair gold medal contest, Canada proved too strong to end up winning 14-5.

Australia still did a tremendous job to claim silver with Hannah Dodd scoring three points with Georgia Inglis finishing with one point and two rebounds, Amber Merritt one point and two boards, and Ella Sabljak an offensive rebound.

All in all, Australia finished with a gold medal, two silvers and a bronze from the spectacular 3x3 tournaments at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.