Boomers won’t take China lightly in Rio basketball clash

THE Boomers won’t be taking the winless China easily when the two teams clash in Rio.

USA's guard Kyle Lowry (left) tries to get the ball from Australia's forward Cameron Bairstow.

CHINA is without a win in the men’s basketball competition in Rio.

But that does not mean the Boomers are taking them lightly as they look to take a further step towards securing second spot in Group A.

Australia has been one of the standouts of the competition so far following wins over France and Serbia as well as pushing the US all the way and should take care of the Chinese with ease.

It may even be a chance for coach Andrej Lemanis to rest some of his stars such as Andrew Bogut, who came into the Olympics with serious knee issues, but Boomers forward cameron Bairstow said they were just focused on getting the job done.

“Our focus is obviously to get the win first and foremost while continuing to improve as a group moving forward,” he said.

“It’s another great opportunity for the team and we are excited for the challenge.”

Bairstow had his best performance of his debut Olympics against the U.S, playing more than 14 minutes and providing the Boomers with a physical presence while NBA bigs Bogut and Aron Baynes earned some rest.

But watch out for fellow Brisbane products in Brock Motum and Chris Goulding to enjoy some extended time on the court tomorrow if the Boomers can take care of business.

Tip-off is at 3.15am.

On the women’s side, the Opals avoided a disastrous upset against Japan, coming from as much as 16 points behind to keep their undefeated streak alive with a 92-86 victory.

Australia’s defence struggled to contain Japan for three quarters of the match until stepping up the intensity and causing several turnovers and bad shots from their opponents.

From there it was centre Liz Cambage, who led the Opals on the offensive end with 37 points, for Brendan Joyce’s team to remain at the top of their pool.

Australia next play Belarus on Sunday morning.