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The American team could indeed win their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal next month in Tokyo. But if they do, it will be a story of overcoming adversity.
The Americans lost their second consecutive exhibition Monday, this time beaten by Australia 91-83 in Las Vegas. Dating back to the 2019 World Cup, where they finished seventh, the US team have lost four of their last five games. They have also lost two games in a row to Australia, a team that are expected to fight for gold in Japan.
It was a better performance than the loss to Nigeria on Saturday, but just reading those words is a bit bewildering considering the pedigree of this roster and the coaching staff. Damian Lillard, who had 22 points, and Kevin Durant, who had 17 points, definitely looked more like the All-Stars. But in the end, they weren’t able to deliver clutch shots.
The final indignity came with one minute remaining and the United States dropped five points as Jayson Tatum threw an aerial ball on a 3-point corner try. It was better than the next possession, which ended in a turnaround.
The performance differential between the teams was obvious. Time and time again, the Aussies have been able to throw passes down the middle to players either wide open from big cuts or in an advantageous game. It might be a bit early in this heavy game planning process, but it was clear Australia felt they could take advantage of a relatively small American roster.
Patty Mills, who has long been a star of her national team, had 22 points. Joe Ingles had 17 and the Australians finished 53% for the game.
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