Boomers blast China, announce Olympic squad

THE Australian Boomers have kept their strong form rolling on the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, defeating China by 33 points at John Cain Arena on Thursday night before finalising their squad for the tournament today.

Following the two games against China, Australia’s selectors had seen enough to pick the 12-man team that will be representing the nation in France.

Among the notable omissions are NBA wing Matisse Thybulle and returning NBL gun Xavier Cooks, both of whom were omitted alongside NBL stars Chris Goulding, Dejan Vasiljevic and Jack White.

Fresh off a championship with the Tasmania JackJumpers, frontcourt pair Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay are both poised for their Olympic debuts, continuing an excellent 2024 for the duo, with the former in particular impressing in Australia’s two wins.

The Boomers previously played and defeated China on Tuesday night, and made it two from two with a convincing performance last night that should fill the team with confidence heading into the next batch of warm up games.

The result came after a scrappy first quarter, during which China was restricted to just six points and both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net. However, Australia still managed to break out to a 10-point lead at the first change despite shooting just 29 per cent from field, with Josh Green impressing on both ends.

As the game rolled on, the Boomers began to find their rhythm, maintaining their strong on-ball defence while improving their ball movement to create good looks from the field. China consistently turned the ball over and allowed the Aussies to score in transition.

The second half saw Goulding catch fire with four triples, while Joe Ingles was injected into the game and impressed with his playmaking, with the Boomers in a comfortable position for the remainder of the match, cruising home to a 91-58 victory.

Big man Jock Landale impressed with a game-high 19 points, showing how valuable he will be after missing last year’s World Cup and leaving a gaping hole in the team’s frontcourt stocks. However, star guard Patty Mills will need to improve ahead of the Games after shooting just 1/11 from the field on Thursday as he looks to avoid a repeat of 2023’s inaccuracy.

The Boomers will now take their squad to Abu Dhabi, facing off against Team USA and Serbia before heading to France for the Olympics.

Australian Boomers 12-man squad

Joshua Giddey
Dyson Daniels
Patty Mills
Josh Green
Dante Exum
Jock Landale
Duop Reath
Joe Ingles
Jack McVeigh
Will Magnay
Matthew Dellavedova
Nick Kay