- Australia suffered a surprising 77-71 defeat to Greece in the pool match
- Other match results helped them avoid an early exit in Paris
- The identity of the Boomers’ quarter-final opponent is yet to be revealed
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian expressed his frustration with his underperforming team, labeling their play as ‘hero ball’ after Australia’s unexpected loss to Greece left them on the brink of elimination from the Olympics.
Goorjian was highly critical of the Boomers’ first half performance, stating he was disappointed with their 77-71 loss in Lille.
‘Too much hero ball, heads down, and poor defense,’ he asserted.
‘This behavior prevented us from showcasing the defense we’re capable of. However, I felt we improved in the second half.’
‘We have young point guards at their first Olympics, aged 20 and 21, who might not have faced a game of this scale.’
‘Yet in the second half, we had huddles, discussions, grit, and ball movement; that’s the approach we need moving forward.’
Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut concurred with Goorjian’s harsh critique, emphasizing the Boomers were fortunate to still be in the competition.
They relied on Canada to secure a win over Spain by three points, which helped them advance.
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has accused his team of playing ‘hero ball’ after Australia were fortunate not to be sent packing from the Olympics following a shock defeat against Greece
Australia started slowly and while they improved in the second half, they were fortunate to progress to the quarter-finals after a six-point defeat (pictured left, Boomers star Patty Mills)
‘In the first half, it felt like we were just going through the motions against Greece…you can’t take any team lightly in the Olympics,’ Bogut stated on The Gold Standard podcast.
‘It was a game of two halves. We also need to address our inconsistency.’
‘This has been a persistent issue for the Boomers; we can show brilliance but also falter significantly at times.’
‘To maintain a steady performance in tournaments like the Olympics, we need to find that balance.’
Leading up to this match, the Boomers recognized that Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo required close attention on the court.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward had a substantial impact in the game, scoring 20 points.
The next opponent for Australia is yet to be determined, pending the conclusion of the remaining pool matches.
