Boomers handed ’punch in the face’ in World Cup warm-up

The Boomers moved their game to the earlier time of 5.30pm to avoid clashing with Tillie-mania and there was a smattering of soccer kits throughout the crowd of 10891 who watched a tight 90-86 defeat at the hands of the energised Brazilians, despite an 20-point, 10-rebound double-double from Josh Giddey.

The boys got into the football spirit, donning Matildas kits with their corresponding numbers on their way to Rod Laver Arena, showing them off as they exited the team bus. Injured Jock Landale even had a snooze in the No. 13 worn proudly by midfielder Tameka Yallop.

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But the lethargic Boomers took a while to get things going, missing 14 of their first 16 shots and all eight of their three-point attempts in the opening period.

As shot after shot clunked off the iron and the Boomers went into the first break with just 13 points, you could have been forgiven for thinking the rim was being tended by Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold in a penalty shoot out.

Goorjian lamented the Boomers’ slow start but said the loss exposed areas his squad would need to improve if they want to be the best in the world.

“We started the game with an element of softness,” Goorjian said.

“We got really outhustled the first five-six minutes of the game.

“But, big picture, maybe a little punch in the face right now at this stage isn’t a bad thing.

“Helps us back to the reality of how tough this is going to be.

“We came here to win the game, I coached the game on the sideline, I wasn’t just moving bodies around, I was trying to win.

“That was disappointing but I now take a deep breath and does it help me with a few things moving forward? For sure.

“That next step to be the best in the world at something is really, really difficult.

“The culture’s been strong but let’s see where we go now with a few punches in the face.”

At the other end, Brazil’s fast paced drive and kick game proved a big test and their five first-quarter threes helped them skip out to a 23-13 lead.

It was athletic Victorian Dante Exum who lifted the tempo late in the first, coming off the bench for Josh Giddey to peg the Cariocas back.

Giddey returned down six and picked up where Exum left off, while Nick Kay (10 points, seven rebounds) finally managed to beat the keeper with a pair of late threes that put the Boomers within two at the long break.

The Aussies didn’t lead until halfway through the third — Patty Mills (11 points) bringing the house down with his first three-point make, after he was an ice-cold 0-8 from deep.

The Aussies extended that lead to nine and it looked like they’d run away with it, but Brazil remained hot from deep and, with six minutes remaining, took the lead back on Vitor Benite’s fourth trey of the night.

Goorj went back to the starting line-up — with Nick Kay in for Duop Reath — to steady and a Giddey three momentarily tied it back up at 80.

But it was Brazil’s night — they had the answers every time the Aussies challenged. The Brazilians play a breakneck brand of basketball, all their bigs can shoot the three and they love to move the ball — at one point, they had 15 assists on 17 makes.

Benite had 17 while former NBA big man Bruno Caboclo led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and a trio of big blocks on our man Giddey — how dare he?

Fans quickly streamed out of Rod Laver, bound for Matildas’ live sites at AAMI Park and Federation Square, with one more special night for basketball in Melbourne Thursday against South Sudan before the World Cup beckons.

GOORJ’S EXPERIMENT

Boomers’ coach Brian Goorjian said after Monday night’s win over Venezuela he would experiment with line-ups and, while he entered with the same starting five, he tinkered with his rotations to offer a number of different looks.

Xavier Cooks was the first man off the bench and he provided instant impact, grabbing back-to-back offensive boards outhustling the Brazilians and justifying why he is a near-certainty to be on the plan to Japan.

Cooks’ defensive intelligence and switchability make him a disruptive nightmare for opposition offences.

The youngest member of the Boomers Dyson Daniels didn’t get on the floor until after halftime on Monday night but he was injected late in the first quarter for some early burn.

Exum looks to have sewn up the back up point guard minutes with Joe Ingles the sixth man — Goorj likes the way the pair play together.

SELECTION BATTLE

Chris Goulding has a sore knee, Jock Landale an ankle injury and Josh Green is nursing an elbow complaint.

There’s hope Landale and Green will play in Thursday night’s clash with South Sudan. But injuries are the spanner in the works Goorj doesn’t need as he attempts to cull his squad by one.

It appears he’s deciding between Jack White and Duop Reath. He’s still tossing up between having the more traditional big with Reath backing up Landale, or playing the smaller White, who is a great three point shooter, in athletic, switchable, run-and-gun line-ups.

White had a better showing Wednesday, instant impact off the bench with nine points and four boards in 10 minutes, while Reath had 10 points and five rebounds.

It’s a fascinating conundrum for him to solve and we’ll know for certain before Friday, with the Boomers set to jet off for Japan ahead of a friendly against France Sunday.

Basketball journalist

Michael Randall is a basketball reporter for the Herald Sun and CODE Sports, covering the NBL, WNBL, NBA and Australian senior and junior international and representative teams…. Read more

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