A Patty Mills classic has helped Australia get past Lithuania 87-82, the Boomers surviving a final-quarter scoring drought to prevail in a massive boost to their basketball World Cup quarter-final hopes in China.
Australia had led by 15 points in the third term but five minutes without a point saw Lithuania edge ahead as the pressure rose in Dongguan.
The Boomers somehow composed themselves, with crucial defensive stops and calculated offence before a tough Mills triple with 30 seconds on the clock gave them a decisive five-point lead.
Hulking centre Aron Baynes (21 points, 13 rebounds) set the tone early with fierce rebounding to quell the giant Jonas Valanciunas and find his touch from range.
Mills (23 points) was nerveless at the death to continue his fine tournament while Nicholas Kay was also clutch in the final term.
Victory has given Australia a massive leg-up entering the second round in Nanjing, where first-round results carry over.
A loss would have left Australia at the mercy of other results, even with wins over both France and the Dominican Republic in the next five days.
Instead they enter ahead of two of the four teams on wins, and high on confidence eyeing an equal-best quarter-final World Cup appearance.
Australia went on a nine-point run after Lithuania scored the first two buckets of the game, Jock Landale tucking in a dunk to cap the strong start.
Baynes' six rebounds and five points capped a powerful first-quarter stint and helped Australia ahead 27-19.
He returned to bury another triple and finish a three-point play, pushing the lead out to 10 - and 11 at halftime - as rival coach Dainius Adomaitis issued a rocket to his side.
His side rallied behind Marius Grigonis (19 points) in what became a tense back-and-forth final five minutes before Mills' clutch play.