The United States basketball team lived another night to be forgotten with the second consecutive defeat in preparation for Tokyo 2020, this time against Australia by 83-91. For the second time in three days, the United States team suffered the humiliation of being defeated in the friendly tournament that was played in Las Vegas, Nevada. The US Olympic team had lost 87-90 to Nigeria last Saturday.
In Tokyo, the United States team will defend the title of Olympic champion, and the two defeats begin to unsettle the managers of the national team and especially the veteran coach Gregg Popovich, of the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA.
Point guard Damian Lillard led the United States with 22 points and forward Kevin Durant added 17 points and four rebounds. The United States had a nine-point lead at halftime, but it was point guard Patty Mills who shone in the fourth quarter and decided Australia’s victory.
Mills scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and helped the Boomers to victory. Forward Joe Ingles added 17 points and Matisse Thybulle had 12 touchdowns. It was a great set-up victory for Australia aspiring to be on the podium. It must be counted – yes – that there are still some first swords to join the US national team, since the NBA competition has not yet ended and at the moment the finals that the Phoenix Suns are winning are being played 2-1 to the Milwaukee Suns.
The United States will play against Argentina this Tuesday (team led by Sergio Hernández, who was at Casademont until months ago); They will face Australia again on Friday night and finish their preparation schedule on Sunday against Spain. Scariolo’s team, at the moment, comes from winning all its friendly matches (the last two against the powerful French team), but there is fear that it is precisely Spain that the Americans make pay for the broken dishes.
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