The Australian Boomers just got a little taste of their own medicine.
Tuesday evening's (AEST) game against Canada saw the Boomers suffer their first loss of the Paris Olympics -- a 93-83 defeat -- and were beaten by a lot of the things that are supposed to be their calling card.
Canada was that little bit more physical, played a touch faster, and then had the NBA talent to get them over the line in crunch time.
Josh Giddey finished with a team-high 19 points, to go with seven points and six rebounds, while Jock Landale was impressive again, posting 16 points and 12 rebounds of his own. For Canada, RJ Barrett led the way with 24 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 16 points, shooting 8-of-10 from the field.
The Boomers came out strong, but ultimately couldn't keep up with a Canada team that's projected to medal at these Olympics, putting the quarterfinals fate of Brian Goorjian's team in some jeopardy.
Here's how they lost the game, who stood out for the Boomers, and what happens next.
Canada's third quarter adjustment
Giddey received the ultimate compliment after dropping 15 points in the first half of this one: Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez decided to put Lu Dort on him.
It worked.
Dort's physical, disruptive, stifling defence made it extremely difficult for Giddey to initiate, leading to the Boomers' offence getting stagnant.
That activity also led to bulk turnovers for Australia, who would cough it up nine times in the third quarter alone. The Boomers finished the game with 18 turnovers, while Canada had 28 points off those turnovers. Against a physical Canada team that's tough to score against, empty possessions like that - especially ones that lead to easy baskets on the other end - are an absolute killer, and was an issue for this Boomers team over their exhibition game schedule.
"What we were trying to do is keep the ball away from him," Goorjian said of Dort. "Have multiple ball handlers on the floor. He was on Giddey as well when he got going, so the challenge was who he's guarding, stay away and keep the ball away from him."
Giddey would only score four points in the second half, while the Boomers only mustered up 34 total points over the last two quarters combined.
"I just think we had too many turnovers down the stretch and too many plays that were not going to win you a medal," Landale said. "We need to go back and figure that out and then get ready for Greece and then get ready for the Quarter Final games. It's about having pressure releases. We play fast, but I think if we can continue to learn to play in a slower environment, when you do both, you can put yourself in a position to win a medal."
Canada's scoring talent is what will steal headlines, but their ability to create consistent chaos on the defensive end over the course of a 40-minute game is their true calling card.
"The concern coming in was their pressure and how we handled their pressure," Goorjian said. "The aspect that you don't take into account is the fatigue factor. Even though we have depth in those spots, I thought they wore us down physically and we weren't able to get into anything in the second half. 15 points off turnovers in the third quarter gave them the cushion that was the game. That's a measuring stick and we feel like we played them tough for the majority of the game."
Exum the "key piece" makes successful return
Eight days prior to the matchup with Canada, Dante Exum ran off the floor as a bone on his right index figure had punctured his skin.
In a quicker-than-expected recovery, Exum suited up against Canada, entering the game with 5:14 to play in the first period.
"When he first did it, I said he's tough, he's going to get out there and compete," Landale said. "He can score on any level. We know even when his hand might not feel the best he can still put the ball in the hole for us."
21 seconds after checking into the game, he did just that, bullying his way to the basket for an easy two.
So often a steadying presence for the Boomers, Exum was called on during the third quarter, as Canada opened up a game-high 66-56 lead with 3:14 to play. With Giddey and Mills off the floor, Exum was charged with the responsibility of getting the team back on track.
First, he found Landale for a dunk. He then dribbled into the middle of the lane to drop in a floater. After that, he hit a rolling Kay for a reverse finish. As the Boomers attempted to keep touch during a tumultuous period in the contest, Exum had stepped up to the plate.
"Key piece," Goorjian quickly responded when asked about the performance. "The size factor and the physicality. He can get in the key and create for others which was important. They have two or three defenders there. He gives us a better chance to get us where we want to go."
Overall, the 29-year-old tallied 15 points, two rebounds and two assists in just 16 minutes of court time, walking away one of the overwhelming positives on the day for Australia.
It would be reasonable to suspect that minute tally to rise against Greece on Friday.
Do the Boomers have a go-to lineup?
The Boomers are now two games into these Olympics, but it still feels like there's a lot of freelancing, when it comes to the lineups we're seeing out there.
There still seems to be some experimenting with different lineups and then, when there's a need for that go-to, sure-fire group, it's not quite clear who that is.
We know for sure that Giddey is in it; so is Dyson Daniels, who put together another really impressive two-way showing in this game. Landale is the big in the go-to lineup, but then it's up in the air. Patty Mills has shown flashes, but this Canada game was an example of how matchup-dependent that is; he predictably struggled mightily on both ends against the longer, more athletic Canadians. Nick Kay is the same, and also wasn't able to find his footing in this matchup.
The Jack McVeigh shooting piece maybe makes him a valuable guy to slot in at the four next to a Giddey-Daniels-Landale core. He has some defensive deficiencies, though, so does everybody just slide up a position so Danté Exum and/or Josh Green move into that lineup?
Rotations have also been a mixed bag. It still feels like this team has yet to solidify what the minutes at the five-spot look like when Landale heads to the bench. It's been Will Magnay to start this campaign but trended more toward Duop Reath against Canada. It's clear, two games in, the coaching staff is still figuring out that part of the rotation.
These issues were amplified in this game, and that's probably because of the unique opponent they were facing - there's a difference, stylistically, between a Canada or Team USA and a classic European team - but it was difficult to claw back into this one when no-one knows what the most effective lineup is.
"I think the formula is good," Goorjian said, postgame. "Maybe you look at the subbing pattern and how quickly you move the bodies. Instead of five- or six-minute hit, it's three minute hits instead. Making sure you have three ball handlers on the floor. But really, our concern now, there was a confidence there for a good part of the game we played them straight up. We felt good about ourselves. We need to get back in that box for Greece, because that really determines if we are going to Paris or not."
The Boomers are now practically in win-or-go-home territory, so really locking in those key lineups and rotations will be crucial to sustained success from here on out.
How the Boomers can advance to the quarterfinals
Despite the loss, the Boomers are actually in a decent position going into their final game of the group phase.
Next up for the Boomers is a game against Greece who, despite being led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, are 0-2 thus far in these Olympics. Of course, that means Canada faces Spain in the other Group A matchup.
If Canada defeats Spain:
- Any Australia win would see them finish in second place in their group, behind Canada.
- An Australia loss to Greece would force a three-way tie (all of Australia, Greece, and Spain would be 1-2). The ranking of those teams would then come down to the points differential in the games between those teams, which is currently Australia at +12, Spain at -5, and Greece at -7. The Boomers' magic number is then 9; if Australia loses by 9 or less, then they would finish second in their group. If the Boomers lose by between 10-17 points, they'd finish third in their group. A Boomers loss by 18+ would see them finish last in the group.
If Spain defeats Canada:
- Any Australia loss will see them fall into fourth place, which would knock them out of the Olympics.
- An Australia win over Greece would force a three-way tie with Canada and Spain. The final ranking would then come down to the points differential among those three teams, which is currently Australia at +2, Canada at +10, and Spain at -12. The extent of a Spain win over Canada would determine where those points differentials fall.
The Australia vs Greece game will take place before the Canada vs Spain contest, so the Boomers won't know what's required as they enter their matchup. Any Australia win would put them in a relatively palatable position as the group phase comes to a close. Remember: the top two teams in each group, as well as the best two third-placed teams, advance to the quarterfinals.
"I made sure when the guys left the dressing room: it's not a game, it's a tournament," Goorjian said. "Our future in Paris lies in this matchup coming up."