Josh Giddey had his way in the fourth quarter until disaster struck as Australia dropped its second game in the FIBA World Cup after falling to Germany, 82-85, in a thriller.
Giddey posted 17 points and three points in a game that saw him carry the load for the Boomers when it mattered the most.
The 20-year-old OKC Thunder star lifted his national team in the fourth quarter, starting with a baseline dunk off a Patty Mills’ assist to cut the lead down to three, 71-74.
The Boomers fall flat in the final minutes of their matchup against Team Germany, led by Josh Giddey.
Josh Giddey, then, drove for a floater to knot the game up at 79 with a little two minutes left. However, Germany has found answers on Australia’s onslaught throughout the final moments. Giddey would have tied the game in the last 31 seconds if not for him missing his second attempt in the charity stripe.
It was a superb display for Giddey overall, as his driving game continued to be on full display for Australia. He finished 7-of-17 from the floor, from which 15 attempts came from the two-point area.
Giddey also managed to fish six free throws but only made three off them. He struggled to get his shot from the three, only shooting twice in the matchup and making none.
Giddey was scoreless after the first quarter and was sent a wake up call from Boomer Bench Boss Brian Goorjian, as he tried to fire up the team during a lackluster start.
From there, Giddey got his groove and turned it up a notch to finish the game as the second-leading scorer behind Patty Mills’ 21 points.
Jack White also saw action but ended up with 0 points, two rebounds, and four turnovers on 9 minutes of playing time.
The Oklahoma City Thunder faithful should enjoy seeing Josh Giddey get developmental repetitions in the clutch, especially matching bucket-for-bucket down the stretch of this contest.
Former OKC Thunder guard Dennis Schroder led Germany with 30 points, eight assists, and four steals. Australia is now 1-1 in Group E of the FIBA World Cup, while Germany remains unbeaten after two games.