World reacts to Boomers’ Olympics exit: ‘Australia should riot’

The Boomers coughed up a 24-point lead as their Olympic medal dreams evaporated - and the basketball world had plenty to say about it.

Thus ends another Olympics for the Boomers - and this exit is going to sting for a while.

An Australian campaign that was mired in controversy when the team was selected, gained momentum during some exceptional performances in the lead-up games and the opener against Spain, but ultimately finished with just one win from four games, is over.

A quarterfinal exit - which came after a heartbreaking 95-90 overtime defeat against Serbia - isn’t an unexpected result for a team clearly transitioning between two eras.

It was a devastating end to the Boomers' Olympic campaign. Pictures: AFP/Getty

Being on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in Olympic history will hurt the players for a long time but if we’re fair, there weren’t any obvious scapegoats in this performance.

Patty Mills (26 points) can walk into the sunset knowing he was still an absolute handful for opposition defences in his final Olympic appearance.

His 20-point first half was vintage FIBA Patty and even if there were times in the second half his isolation game wasn’t there, he still hit the biggest shot of regulation to tie the scores with 1.4 seconds on the clock.

Patty Mills hits the game-typing shot over Nikola Jokic. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

He can also proudly tell everyone forever he’s an Olympic medallist - and for now Australia’s greatest ever international basketballer and one of the top five point scorers in Olympic history.

Josh Giddey (25 points) was similarly immense for most of the contest. He was the Boomers spark in the first quarter that ignited an exceptional run that led to a 46-22 advantage midway through the second term.

He was certainly a little sloppy and submissive as Serbia roared back into the game, leading to some stinging criticism.

“Giddey is absolutely killing Australia with his decision making and turnovers,” The Athletic NBA writer Sam Vecenie tweeted. “Know they’re trying to push the pace but he needs to even it out. The turnovers just continue to absolutely crush the Boomers.”

But the 21-year-old responded, hitting some huge shots down the stretch to show he’s the man to lead the new generation forward.

Patty Mills had all sorts of space in the first half. (Photo by POOL / AFP)

And none in the second half. Picture: Adam Head

Jack McVeigh (13 points) and Dante Exum (12 points) could also hold their heads high.

It was only Jock Landale (five points) who failed to deliver the offensive output we’ve come to expect during his sparkling run in France - and that’s understandable given he was often trying to contain the best player in the world on defence.

Landale also got a tough whistle, including a call that was probably there but one you’ll often see ignored in the final seconds of a game when he was pinged for a shooting foul on Vasilije Micic.

“You CANNOT have a late BS whistle like that in a damn one point game,” Canadian basketball writer Josh Eberley tweeted. “In an Olympic elimination game. Give me a break. Australia should riot.

“Blowing the lead is rough and that’s on them, but that call was triggering as a neutral fan.”

Josh Green must also feel triggered after only playing a couple of seconds in the entire game.

As veteran NBA scribe John Hollinger noted: “Josh Green: 14 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, zero points in the Olympics. Getting DNP’d for Matthew Dellavedova today.”

Nikola Jokic blocks the shot of Josh Giddey late in overtime. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

But the difference between the two teams was Jokic (21 points, 14 rebounds), who took over the game late in overtime after a Giddey three gave Australia a 90-87 lead.

Strangely for the Serbian superstar it started on defence as he blocked Giddey’s next shot, swiped a Mills’ lay-up off the rim and then moments later grabbed a steal.

Then he did on the offensive end what Denver Nuggets fans have come to enjoy over the years, flipping in a paint shot to give Serbia the lead and then hitting a rainbow jumper that secured victory and left his country’s local commentary team literally laughing with delight.

“Best player in the world,” Jokic’s Nuggets teammate Christian Braun tweeted after the shot fell through.

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat.

Originally published as World reacts to Boomers’ Olympics exit: ‘Australia should riot’