In a showdown between two of the top teams in Group A, Matthew Dellavedova and Australia fell just short of what would have been another upset, falling to the United States, 98-88, in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament on Wednesday night.
Australia held their own against the heavy gold medal favorites, taking a 54-49 lead at the half. But, the United States responded in the third quarter, outscoring the Boomers 21-13, to own a 70-67 advantage heading into the final quarter of play.
In the fourth quarter, Australia was able to cut the United States’ lead to four, 90-86, with under two minutes to go on a Patty Mills layup. However, Kyrie Irving came back with a clutch 3-pointer for the US that extended their lead back to seven at 93-86, before the United States eventually ended up with a 10-point win.
Dellavedova poured in another double-double for the Boomers, finishing with 11 points and a game-high 11 assists. He also added a team-high six rebounds while garnering a 21 efficiency rating. Delly continued his hot shooting in the Olympics, shooting 63 percent (5-for-8) from the floor against the United States on Wednesday night.
Mills led the Australians with 30 points while Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 31 points for the United States. Irving finished with 19 points. As a team, the United States shot 44 percent (17-for-39) from beyond the arc.
Despite the loss, Delly and the Boomers sit in a favorable position in Group A with five points. They currently are tied for second place with France, with both teams behind the United States who has six points. Australia’s next game is on Friday against China at 12:15 p.m.
