Patty Mills (L) of Australia penetrates in the FIBA Basketball World Cup group game against Finland at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan, August 25, 2023. /CFP
Australia beat Finland 98-72 in the opener of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Okinawa, Japan, on Friday.
Led by NBA All-Star big man Lauri Markkanen, Finland were seen by many as a likely dark horse of the tournament, but the Boomers taught them a hard lesson with balanced performances, not just between offense and defense but also among different players on their rotations.
Patty Mills shot 11-for-22 from the field to score a court-high 25 points. Though he missed six of his eight triples, he went 9-for-14 within the 3-point line. Moreover, while Mills' defensive abilities in one-on-one situations have often been called into question, Australia used him well with a well-connected team defense. In fact, Mills also grabbed eight rebounds and delivered four steals.
Lauri Markkanen (#23) of Finland drives toward the rim in the FIBA Basketball World Cup group game against Australia at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan, August 25, 2023. /CFP
Australia built their defense on the comprehensive abilities of Mattisse Thybulle and Josh Green. Both of them gave their defensive targets a hard time, not to mention that they always appeared in the right spot on time for either help defense or double-teaming.
Markkanen had a good taste, or maybe a bad taste, of Australia's defensive power. In the first half, whenever he had the ball, even outside the 3-point line, at least two defenders would immediately trap him, forcing him to give the ball to his teammates.
Markkanen, as a result, shot seven 3-pointers and missed six of them. He still generated good efficiency by shooting 6-for-10 in 2-point attempts with skillful off-ball attacks and dropping a team-high 19 points. However, only Sasu Salin managed to offer him good enough support with 13 points. None of their teammates reached double-digit points. In fact, they found it difficult to even pass the ball to Markkanen when he was in his sweet spots.
Josh Giddey (#3) of Australia shoots in the FIBA Basketball World Cup group game against Finland at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan, August 25, 2023. /CFP
By contrast, four Boomers surpassed 10 points in Friday's game. Joe Ingles drained three triples, two of which came off the dribble. If tough defense has been the team's signature, they should give credit to Josh Giddey for their smooth offense.
Giddey made good use of his 2.03-meter height by constantly charging Finland's paint. He earned seven free throws, the most in Friday's game. Meanwhile, Giddey ran Australia's offense well with his excellent court vision and passing ability, getting eight assists.
Other games on Friday:
Italy 81-67 Angola
Montenegro 91-71 Mexico
Latvia 109-70 Lebanon
Dominican Republic 87-81 Philippines
Germany 81-63 Japan
Lithuania 93-67 Egypt
Canada 95-65 France