Australia head coach Brian Goorjian had high praise for Canada after the Boomers’ loss in Day 2 of the Olympic Basketball Tournament (93-83). The Canadians moved to 2-0 and came a step away from the knockout stage, while the Aussies (1-1) have to defeat Greece (0-2) on Friday to advance.
After the game, coach Goorjian praised Canada for the way they played on both ends, comparing them to Team USA.
“To me, they are a version of Team USA. They play different than the Europeans, there’s a lot more one-on-one, a lot more spread game, a lot more going at the weak defender, bringing him to the on-ball and spread. And then, the physicality defensively was at a level that we haven’t played against so far,” the Boomers’ head coach told media in Lille, via the official website of FIBA.
After a hard-fought battle for three quarters, Canada took over and allowed just 13 points, outscoring their opponents 21-13 in the fourth and sealing the deal.
RJ Barrett led the way for the winners with 24 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks added 16 each. On the othr hand, Josh Giddey had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Australia, while Jock Landale added 16 points and 12 boards.
