Boomers squeak past Georgia, wrap up World Cup preparations
3 years ago - Sportingbase
The Boomers managed to outlast a spirited Republic of Georgia outfit 86-81 in their final FIBA World Cup warmup clash behind closed doors in Okinawa, Japan.
Attention will now shift to their tournament opener against Finland on Friday night (6:00pm AEST).
The Australians jumped out to a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter which grew to 18 at the break.
The Georgians won the third period by two before storming home to give the Boomers a scare but ultimately fall just short of pulling off the comeback.
The deficit was cut to as low as three entering the final two minutes, but the Boomers held on to finish 4-1 in their warmup outings with the only loss coming to Brazil back in Melbourne.
All of the Australians got through the clash unscathed – a welcome sight for the team.
Nick Kay top-scored for the Boomers with 14 whilst Chris Goulding added 13 in his first taste of action since picking up a knee complaint in the side’s opening warmup clash versus Venezuela.
Head coach Brian Goorjian reportedly rotated the players throughout the second half and experimented with different lineups.
He welcomed the tight finish and the manner in which it prepared his players’ decision-making in clutch situations – a necessary skill if the side has title aspirations.
The Boomers’ next outing is their World Cup opener against Finland on Friday night (6:00pm AEST) before turning their attention to clashes against Germany on Sunday (6:30pm AEST) and hosts Japan on Tuesday (9:10pm AEST).
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