Australian Opals win bronze in Paris

Ezi Magbegor has lifted Australia past an inspired Belgium and back onto the Olympic podium, the Opals prevailing 85-81 in a brilliant bronze medal play-off in Paris.

Magbegor scored 30 points on 71 per cent shooting and added 13 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals in one of the great Olympic basketball performances on Sunday.

Lauren Jackson secured her fifth Games medal and the Opals completed a stirring campaign that looked dashed after a horror first-up loss to Nigeria.

Bronze is the Opals' third at the Olympics, to go with three silver medals and comes after back-to-back quarter-final exits.

Jackson's been there for all but one of those medals, the Opals' first bronze in 1996.

It truly was a changing of the guard though as the 43-year-old, in her fifth Games but first in 12 years, was an unused substitute after playing only a minor on-court role all tournament.

Instead it was 24-year-old Magbegor who rose tall while Jade Melbourne, 21, and 19-year-old guard Isobel Borlase, who was born after Jackson already had two Olympic silver medals, showed they're the future of the team.

Seattle Storm star Magbegor had played a bit-part role as the team's form slowly improved.

On Sunday in front of a partisan Belgian crowd at Bercy Arena she was central to it all, bossing the paint at both ends with rebounds and spins to the basket as the lead changed hands 15 times.

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Belgium were sharp early behind Antonia Delaere to lead 9-3 before the Opals turned to Magbegor and teen Borlase - who nailed a long, step-back triple on the quarter-time buzzer - to skip out by seven points.

The Europeans scored the next nine points but the Opals took a lead into the break thanks to Sami Whitcomb's late triple.

The point guard hit another to begin the third term and Magbegor kept terrorising the Belgian ring, dishing an assist to push the Opals ahead by 10.

Again the Belgians rallied though, Julie Vanloo (26 points) in rhythm from well behind the arc with a triple and then a three-point play to put them back ahead.

Teams traded big shots to close the third, Vanloo's floater putting Belgium up by one at the final break.

Nothing changed down the stretch, Vanloo red-hot and the Opals sharing the load to keep up.

Magbegor didn't flinch and Alanna Smith's three-point play put Australia ahead by seven with four minutes remaining.

Belgium wouldn't go away though, the lead cut to three with one minute to play after another timely  triple.

Talbot then blocked a Belgian effort to tie the game, Australia's defence then forcing a shot-clock violation that proved the final nail in the coffin.

AUSTRALIA 85 (MAGBEGOR 13, WHITCOMB 14, SMITH 13)
BELGIUM 81 (VANLOO 26, MEESSEMAN 23, DELAERE 15)