Boomers cruise past Finland in World Cup opener

The Boomers have opened their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating group opponents Finland by 26 points on the first night of competition.

The 28^th ranked international side came out swinging against Australia and entered the quarter time break with a four-point lead, courtesy of a 7-0 run to round out the quarter.

Australia’s quality and strength in depth started to show through in the second quarter though. Forward Jack White offered energetic defence off the bench to help quiet Finland’s star player Lauri Markkanen, while Patty Mills and Josh Giddey both kicked into a new gear offensively.

After scoring just 17 points in the first quarter, Australia scored 25 or more in the remaining three terms of the game, and ended the contest shooting a respectable 30 per cent from three.

Duop Reath and Xavier Cooks showcased their athleticism in the second half, with the pair each slamming home strong dunks, while Mills went to work to top score with 25 points for the game.

Giddey entered half-time on triple-double watch, however foul trouble and the rapidly extending margin saw him remain on the bench for much of the final quarter, as he ended the game with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

The introduction of guard pair Dyson Daniels and Chris Goulding in the fourth quarter ensured all 12 players on Australia’s roster hit the floor at some point in the game – and with the next group clash coming against Germany in two days’ time, Brian Goorjian will be happy he managed to rotate all of his players through the game.

AUSTRALIA - 98 (Mills 25, Giddey 14, Ingles 13, Exum 10)
FINLAND – 72 (Markkanen 19, Salin 13, Jantunen 8, Madsen 8)

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