ABU DHABI — Team USA executed late in the game and survived a game Australia team for a 98-92 exhibition win in a pre-Olympics showcase in Abu Dhabi.
Anthony Davis scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton came up with a pair of late 3-pointers that helped stop a freefall by the Americans.
Devin Booker scored 16 for the US, Anthony Edwards scored 14 and three players – LeBron James, Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid – finished with 10 for the Americans, who are playing host to a pair of exhibitions at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates this week.
Jock Landale scored 20 for Australia, which got 17 from Josh Giddey and 14 from Dyson Daniels, AP reported.
The US led by 24 midway through the third quarter, yet saw that lead cut to six with 5:05 left after Australia went on a 39-21 run. But Haliburton had the next six points on his 3s, pushing the lead back to 92-80.
Australia cut it to four on two separate occasions, but Booker went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 8 seconds to ensure the US would escape.
Just like in the Canada game, the so-called second unit – Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Adebayo, Davis and Booker – changed the game.
That was the group on the floor when the Americans took a game that was tied at 19-19 with 3:15 left in the first and turned it into a 39-23 lead – a 20-4 run in a span of just over 5 minutes.
US coach Steve Kerr used that group as his starting five to open the second half. But it´s become a clear trend already: when the US goes to its bench and can replace All-Stars with other All-Stars, it´s just going to be a massive problem for opponents who don´t have anywhere near that same level of depth.
It´s been something the Americans have used to their advantage in the past. Dwyane Wade led the gold-medalist 2008 US Olympic team in points, even though he was sixth in minutes on that team and came off the bench in all eight games.
Kevin Durant missed his second consecutive exhibition game, sidelined again with a calf injury.
Booker eventually finished ahead of Edwards with his late baskets, tallying 16 points. LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo each scored 10 points. Jayson Tatum led Team USA with five assists.
However, 18 turnovers demonstrated that these players are still learning how to play with each other, leading to mistakes upon which opponents may capitalize.
Here´s the big trouble sign right now for the US:
FIBA games are shorter than NBA games, 40 minutes instead of 48 minutes. That means there are fewer possessions and makes it even more imperative to not give the ball away.
After committing 15 turnovers in last week’s exhibition win over Canada, the US had 18 giveaways on Monday and Australia used them to fuel the comeback effort – getting 25 points off turnovers in the second half alone.
Kevin Durant missed his second consecutive game because of a calf strain, and with only one practice between games it wouldn´t seem likely that he plays Wednesday against Serbia either.
Derrick White, who arrived in Abu Dhabi over the weekend and got into his first practice with the team on Sunday, also didn´t play.
White replaced Kawhi Leonard – who deals with knee issues – on the US roster after the Americans determined last week that it wasn´t in Leonard´s best interest to play this summer.
