Giddey: "That's what it's going to take"

Australian star Josh Giddey says the Boomers' opening night win set the standard for the rest of their Olympic campaign.

It was a fiery clash against Spain that at times threatened to boil over, but the Australians were able to hold their nerve when the pressure was on to round out a 92-80 win.

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It was a continuation of the rivalry that saw Spain claim legacy-defining wins at the 2016 Olympics and 2019 World Cup, but this time it was the Boomers that claimed the ultimate bragging rights and got some revenge.

"Tonight was the epitome of Australian basketball; just a full team effort," Giddey said.

"That's what it's going to take to win a game like this and a tournament like this."

Giddey was a star in his Olympic debut, racking up 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, but he wasn't alone, with big man Jock Landale (20 points, 9 rebounds), Patty Mills (19 points), Dyson Daniels (13 points, 7 rebounds) and NBA-bound Tasmania JackJumpers star Jack McVeigh (13 points, 7 rebounds) all influential.

"Not flinching was one of the things we spoke about," Giddey said of the highly emotional game. 

"They're going to have their runs, we're going to have ours, it's just who can withstand the storm better.

"Getting on the front foot again. That's what got us back that lead.

"Spain's one of the powerhouse countries in this tournament, they have been for a number of years.

"They were trying to set the tone early and I thought our guys did an awesome job responding to that, we didn't take a backward step all night."

The Boomers will be sweating on the fitness of Dallas Mavericks star Dante Exum, but he's expected to miss at least the clash against Canada on Tuesday night. 

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