Australia shocked Team USA with a 98-94 win in an exhibition game in Melbourne, snapping the Americans fantastic 78-game winning streak. Gregg Popovich’s side won the opening clash in Australia, but the second game represented USA’s first international loss in 13 years. Patty Mills led Australia with 30 points while Kemba Walker had 22 and Harrison Barnes added 20 points for team USA.
Patty Mills went OFF to help Australia defeat Team USA👀
🎥 @NBATV pic.twitter.com/ThxTWAuHW5
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 24, 2019
Donovan Mitchell’s triple with 1:05 to go got the Americans to within 97-94 and they had a couple of chances to tie the score, but Mitchell and Joe Harris missed from beyond the arc while Mills iced the tilt with a free throw.
Barnes, Marcus Smart (calf strain), Khris Middleton, Mitchell, and Myles Turner started for Gregg Popovich’s teams. They used different starting lineups in three exhibitions, with only Donovan Mitchell opening all three games. Kyle Kuzma did not play because of left ankle soreness.
It was the first defeat for the Americans in a major international tournament or exhibition since the 2006 world championship semis against Greece.
“Some of it is expected with a new group that’s trying to learn about each other and learn a system,” Gregg Popovich said. “So it’s not surprising. But the Aussies gave us a great lesson as far as where we want to be and how you have to play in this kind of a competition.”
Team USA is No. 1 in FIBA’s world rankings, but they showed they’re vulnerable in this game and with stiff competition in the upcoming World Cup in China, it doesn’t look like the Americans will easily win the gold. They will face Canada in an exhibition on Monday in Sydney.
