Sneaking from behind, Josh Giddey ripped the ball away from Rudy Gobert for the offensive board which quickly led to a Patty Mills 3.
This possession was one of several late-game highlights for Australia as they completed the double-digit comeback in a 78-74 exhibition win over France.
Trailing by four points with 2:22 remaining in regulation, Giddey checked back into the contest and led Australia to a 12-4 run to close out the surprising win. This was a surprising turnaround for the Boomers as it appeared France was going to run away from this game early on after building a 27-19 lead following the first quarter.
The four-point win marks Australia’s most impressive performance yet in their current slate of exhibitions in preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. France is billed as an upper-echelon squad as their roster is filled with several high-end NBA players.
This was clearly on display in Japan during this friendly — Evan Fournier had 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Gobert had nine points and eight rebounds.
The Oklahoma City Thunder must’ve been excited to stay up for this exhibition. Giddey looked his best as he conducted the comeback win against one of the best World Cup teams. The passing continues to be crisp and the aggressiveness continues to rise, which has resulted in a high amount of free-throw trips.
In 27 minutes, Giddey finished with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. He went 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Giddey’s Thunder teammate Jack White also looked solid in his best exhibition performance thus far. In 16 minutes off the bench, he finished with six points on 2-of-3 shooting and one rebound.
While this is just a friendly, it’s still extremely exciting to see Giddey handle himself like a pro in crunch time against one of the best World Cup teams throughout the tournament.
Let’s look at instant reactions and highlights about Australia’s four-point win.