History beckons as Boomers punish Lithuania in quarter-final shock

AUSTRALIA’S Boomers have carried the weight of the nation and the pressure of the country’s selfdestructing Rio campaign all the way into the semi finals where they will play Serbia.

AUSTRALIA’S Boomers have carried the weight of the nation and the pressure of the country’s selfdestructing Rio campaign all the way into the medal rounds.

Seemingly impervious to pressure and bucking the trend of the shock Rio defeats, Australia’s ice-cool Boomers today shut-out Lithuania in a dominant 90-64 victory.

Australia’s semi-final opponent has been confirmed as Serbia, a favourable matchup given the Boomers beat them 95-80 in their second pool clas

Australia’s inspirational result puts it into the medal rounds for the first time since the 2000 Olympics where it will take on the winner of Serbia and Croatia.

With Team USA failing to impress and no clear second title threat to challenge them, Australia will never have a better chance to make sweet history.

In past days Australia’s men’s and women’s hockey teams, men’s and women’s water polo teams and much-hyped Opals all crashed out short of the semi-finals.

Yet these Boomers are clearly made of sterner stuff, hardened under the fierce cauldron of NBA finals contests with tens of millions of fans watching their every move.

Australia's Aron Baynes was key in the Boomers dominance of Lithuania.

The electric back court duo of Patrick Mills (24 points, eight of 15 shooting) and Matthew Dellavedova (15 points, four three-pointers) led the charge against no less than the third-ranked team in the world, boasting three NBA regulars.

And Aron Baynes’ 16 points as he was fed time and again by his teammates under the hoop typified Australia’s assists-heavy game style.

Go you Boomers!!!!!! #oneteam #rio2016

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) August 17, 2016

The danger was the heroics of classy Lithuanian league point guard Mantas Kalnietis or New York Knicks small forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas might rip this game from Australia’s grasp.

Yet this Boomers team is clearly so much more than a team of bull-at-a-gate scrappers, combining a sublime passing game, the balance of quick ball movement and excellent bigs, and the poise to execute under pressure.

Even the great Boomers teams of 1996 and 2000 couldn’t get over the line against archrival Lithuania, with the European powerhouse boasting a 4-1 Olympic record against Australia.

Australia’s deep run at the 1996 Olympics as Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal starred was stopped by Lithuania in the bronze medal play off.

Patty Mills #5 led the Boomers in scoring against Lithuania.

Then in 2000 they again faced them in the bronze medal play off and were defeated.

The only concerns regard injuries, with Cam Bairstow (dislocated shoulder) not suiting up and Dellavedova getting treatment midgame on his hip and back.

Just 24 hours after the Opals totally failed to handle Serbia’s pressure, the Boomers instead executed flawlessly in the opening minutes.

Dellavedova’s opening pair of three-pointers swished through the ring, Mills hit almost every open shot for 11 opening-quarter points, and the stats sheet was a thing of beauty.

They harried and harassed Lithuania into nine opening-quarter turnovers to their own eight assists and zero turnovers, with Lithuania’s three NBA players stopped from too much damage.

Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas did little damage against opponent Bogut and Kuzminskas was also prevented from a clear impact.

When Dellavedova hit a three-pointer on the first-quarter buzzer Australia held sway with a 26-19 lead.

Rio Day 10: Aussies at the 2016 Olympics

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It got worse for Lithuania early in the second term, Damien Martin finding Bogut for a perfectly-timed alley-oop and the defence composed and swarming.

As Joe Ingles knocked down two foul shots then capped off a fast break, Australia lead 46-24 in the last minute of the half.

After after a pair of unforced turnovers that lead was cut to 18 at the break, but with Mills (16 points) and Dellavedova (15) on fire and Bogut with only two fouls all signs pointed to Australia closing the deal.

Lithuania came out with renewed intensity to cut the lead to just 14 points midway through the third quarter.

Then came the defining surge.

Ryan Broekhoff fed Aron Baynes for a huge dunk, Mills knocked down another three, Broekhoff hit two foul shots and when David Andersen added two, then found Baynes for another assists, Australia led by 27 points at the last change.

Then it was time to conserve battered bodies and coast to the line ahead of bigger challenges ahead.

Originally published as History beckons as Boomers punish Lithuania in quarter-final shock