Team USA superstar Paul George brands Boomers ‘dirty’ team after hard-fought Rio Olympics thriller

THE Boomers’ thriller against the Dream team has had an explosive postscript, with an NBA superstar branding us “dirty”.

United States' Paul George (13) and Australia's Matthew Dellavedova.

TEAM USA star Paul George said the Boomers lived up to expectation that they’d be a “dirty” opponent when his team ground out a tough win in a brutal battle at the Olympics.

“We knew we were going to get their best,” George said. “It was an adjustment for us. The game kind of got ut f hand early with the physical play.

“We knew that coming in - this team has a knack for being a little dirty.”

George said the US team rose to the physical challenge after emerging from halftime.

“I thought the second half we did a good job of just matching them,” he said.

“We were doing the same stuff they were doing and we got hacked for it. We’re fine playing physical, that’s our game in the NBA, but if they going to allow us to play that way they got to play it both ways.”

Boomers legend and now assistant coach Luc Longley fired back in response: “Tell ‘em that’s international basketball.’’

George tangled with Matthew Dellavedova in one of the game’s first confrontations and admitted he had targeted the man known around the US as “dirty Delly”.

Paul George (13) and Australia's Matthew Dellavedova.

“We just had to match their physicality,” said George. “That’s what we had to do. That’s the only way a team is going to get us out of our comfort zone is to muddy the game, doing little stuff to get to us.”

His Delly clash was a way to “let them know it wasn’t going to go the way they thought it was going to go”.

George said he understood why the Aussie players stepped up in the game, despite being what he called “role players” for their NBA clubs.

All of Australia’s starting five are with NBA teams.

“These guys are role players in the NBA. They go to their country and they become stars. They hold that confidence,” George said.

“It came down to us wanting to win. We were trying to do it on our own in the first half, taking tough shots, ones we can make, but we were taking tough ones and they were beating us into taking tough ones.”

United States' Paul George after chasing a loose ball out of court.

George’s teammate Klay Thompson said the toughness of the battle was a good primer for the challenges ahead in the tournament.

“Tough game and we expected that,” Thompson said. “...But a fun game, that’s what you play for .. They’re a tough team and we’ll probably see them again

“They’re one of the better teams in the tournament, they’re experienced, they’ve got a lot of great pros I think we needed a game like that, it’s going to prepare us for what’s to come.”

George said the team “came together” at halftime to work out a response to Australia’s game plan and ultimately owed a debt to Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony scored 31 points, had eight rebounds an assist and two steals in a masterful display during which he surpassed LeBron James US team scoring record, finishing on 293.

“This what we do man,” said George. “We take pride in the US we want to be considered the best - we just have to hold up our end.”

“Everybody had a moment, there was a lot of talking in the dressing room.

“Melo took the initiative to put this game away.

“If you don’t make the shots he made you lose tonight. They were timely and big and he took it upon himself to lead us.

“There’s a reason why he’s been doing this for many years, he’s special.”

Australia’s Patty Mills said: “It was very tough, very physical.”

“There’s a lot of things we can do go get better and that’s what we are here to do.

“We’re here to do something Australia has never done, it’s going to be a long couple of weeks and we’re going to keep chipping away”