Team USA just beat Australia 98-92 in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi, with over 12,000 fans watching at Etihad Arena.
Anthony Davis shined for Team USA, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Despite the win, the team showed some weaknesses. “Our defense had a little slippage,” Davis said after the game. “Offensive rebounds for them have nothing to do with the short time weโve been together. Thatโs all effort.”
Team USA SURVIVES Australia in 98-92 win
AD: 17 PTS, 14 REB
Ant: 14 PTS, 5-11 FG
โ Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
Davis acknowledged that they are improving daily. โWe made big improvements on both ends of the floor,โ he added. โYou got twelve elite players trying to figure it out together.โ
Anthony Edwards Steps Up:
Anthony Edwards also impressed by starting and scoring explosively with his plays. He scored 14 points but warned against getting too comfortable during games. “We canโt get comfortable,” he said.
Fans love seeing these young stars shine on such a big stage.
Team Dynamics:
The team seemed divided into two groups; one was more offensive while the other focused on ball-sharing. Jayson Tatum and LeBron James led an impressive first quarter with their dynamic connection.
Edwards noticed differences between the groups as well. โThe second group shares the ball more than us,โ he noted.
Coach Steve Kerr’s Insights:
Steve Kerr pointed out that Team USA improved offensively compared to their last game against Canada but still has areas needing work like defense and rebounding.
โWe gave up a ton of points at the basket back cuts, offensive boards,โ Kerr said. โBetter to learn that lesson now than later.โ
Australiaโs Jock Landale scored a leading twenty points while Josh Giddey almost had a triple-double performance.
Kerr emphasized how quickly Team USA is adapting despite being newly formed compared to experienced teams like Australia.
