It got physical and feisty, but the Australian Boomers made a statement to open their 2024 Paris Olympics campaign.
Against a Spanish team that's historically had their number, the Boomers were able to start their tournament with an emphatic victory, 92-80, and there was a lot to take away from the outing.
The identity of these Boomers was on show in the early minutes, the X factors have become crystal clear, and the partnership of Josh Giddey and Jock Landale continues to look like the most potent weapon for Brian Goorjian's team.
Here's what we learned from Australia's Olympic opener.
'He's got a fire about him': Landale dominates, Giddey shines
Jock Landale's line speaks for itself: 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and a wildly impressive +30.
The general toughness Landale plays with -- especially his work rate, as that hard hedging big on the defensive end -- and the speed in which he launches out of on-balls makes such an impact for this Boomers team.
"Massive, just massive," Ingles said of Landale. "[He's a] huge piece of what we do. To lose him so late heading into the World Cup... tonight shows... we aren't sitting here and blaming that as the reason we didn't play well, but it obviously shows and it's very nice to have him back."
The big-man did everything. He opened the game with a three from the top of the key, was elite as a roll man playing alongside Giddey, and was extremely effective as a post option in the second half.
"He's got a fire about him," Kay said. "You can see it in the warmups, you can see it every day at training. He's really brought that to this group. He's also got composure about him. Things got tough when they went to that triangle and two defence. He was settled, we threw it down on the block and he came up with some big plays for us."
Landale's partnership with Giddey is also something that's becoming somewhat of a calling card for these Boomers on the offensive end.
Giddey finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, regularly combining with Landale as the pair's chemistry as a pick-and-roll duo continues to improve.
Jack McVeigh is too important to be a rollercoaster
By his own admission, Jack McVeigh was a little too "energized".
With 7:54 remaining in the pivotal third quarter, McVeigh -- who was having a positive impact throughout the game -- fouled Santi Aldama on a 3-point attempt.
Then, with 3:17 to play, McVeigh missed a short-range shot, gathered a rebound and then passed to the absent weakside corner for a turnover. Near half court, Patty Mills pleaded for he and the team to calm down, waving his arms at the group on the floor.
On the very next possession, McVeigh fouled Aldama on another 3-point attempt and was removed from the game.
"Just trying to stay cool," McVeigh said of those moments.
"Next play mentality. Obviously, I was making some bad plays because I was so energized, so ready to play, so excited to play. I just have to calm it down as the tournament goes and still find ways to help the team win with that energy."
In his Olympic debut, McVeigh could have been gripped with uncertainty, instead, he responded in the fourth period to hit two free-throws and a critical triple with 3:49 to play, giving the Boomers an 82-71 lead in what felt like an early dagger.
"When I use the word fearless, I think of McVeigh," Goorjian said.
"He had 13 points tonight and from our bench, he's brought a chemistry. That shooting, on the perimeter, we can get in ruts."
McVeigh finished 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, joining Giddey and Daniels with three long range makes. Overall, the efficient outside shooting proved pivotal for Australia, with Spain attempting 13 more triples despite both teams connecting on 12.
"Giddey needs guys who can shoot the ball around him," Goorjian continued.
"I thought (McVeigh) was great first up. You look on the perimeter and think, 'how are we going to score'...Giddey creates space and that kid is confident. He's a huge addition."
Daniels and Green are gamechangers defensively
At no point was a Spaniard permitted to dribble the ball over half court without a Boomer connected to them.
It begins with Dyson Daniels, who was extremely impressive over the Boomers' warmup games and that carried over to this win over Spain. The new Atlanta Hawk picks up 94 feet on every defensive possession, then proceeds to do an elite job gliding with his man to stay in front, while making it difficult for any pass to be made over the Boomers bigs that are hedging hard.
When Daniels checks out, Josh Green steps in and is just as much of a nuisance. He also picks up full court, and brings an intense physicality when fighting through screens.
Daniels and Green were the head of the snake of the constant pressure Australia were able to put on Spain, and it made it extremely difficult for Sergio Scariolo's team to get through their sets. Case in point: Lorenzo Brown was held to just seven points -- shooting 3-of-10 from the field, including 0-of-4 from downtown -- and committed seven turnovers; Australia's defence, led by Daniels and Green, was effectively able to neutralise Spain's primary initiator.
"That pressure up the floor makes a huge difference," Joe Ingles said.
"Brown was starting the offence at 16, 15, 14 seconds and still at the half. That's a massive difference. With our depth we can do that over 40 minutes. [Dyson's] been unreal."
Boomers working to find the balance between being physical vs keeping composure
By the end of the first quarter, a pair of unsportsmanlike fouls and one technical foul had been handed out by the officials. It was that sort of game.
A mixture of the Boomers' physical play and Spain's crafty, floppy nature made for several heated moments, which both teams were ready to take head on.
A moving screen from Usman Garuba led to an altercation which involved most players on the floor, and Spain's backup big was involved again after contesting a Josh Giddey layup after the whistle, drawing the ire of the Australian point guard. Rudy Fernandez moved his body under a leaping Nick Kay, with the big-man falling dangerously. Giddey was in Fernandez's face after that play.
"We knew it was going to be a physical game," Kay said. "There's a rivalry there. There's history between these two countries. It was great for us to be able to come out on the winning side."
Now, the response from the Boomers was a product of the team that was chosen. Goorjian focused on more toughness and grit with his final selections, and that's how the Australians responded to the expected chippiness from Spain. Australia largely found the right balance between retaining that toughness and physicality while staying disciplined, but there were still some moments that nearly swung the game in the opposite direction.
"We wanted to have some grit," Goorjian said.
"We wanted to use the ball and move it side to side, then we wanted to be better defensively. I thought tonight, they made two heavy runs. I thought we were fearless and courageous."
For more thoughts and takeaways, listen to the ESPN Aussie Hoops Hour podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on the ESPN Australia YouTube page.