Closing time: Boomers eye ruthless finishes

The Australian Boomers are 2-0 in their FIBA Asia Cup campaign, but Adam Caporn and his team are being careful not to get ahead of themselves. 

Against Lebanon on Saturday, the Boomers raced to a 20-4 start, driven by Player of the Game Jaylin Galloway, who scored 10 of those opening points. However, the tide turned late though, as Lebanon took advantage  to claim the final quarter, 20-9.

>> Game Report: Boomers go 2-0 in Saudi Arabia

Despite that lapse, Australia secured a 93-80 victory, with the head coach pleased with his side’s early dominance.

"I'm really happy with the win," Caporn said.

"I thought we defended really well at the start and then just struggled to control them after that. And credit to them, they just keep coming at you.

"Lebanon keep trying things, and they're difficult to deal with, because they're willing to change things up, and the speed of their guards bothered us.

"But I thought on the other side, on the other end, we did a great job moving the ball and played against changing defences, obviously until the end when we just missed shots. But really happy with the outcome."

Galloway led the way with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, sparking the early momentum by draining a three-pointer to open the game. He was supported by Taipans recruit Reyne Smith, who had 18 points in just 17 minutes of game-time. 

The Boomers controlled the boards, earning praise from Caporn for their toughness inside. Jack White pulled down 10 rebounds, seven of them on the defensive end, while Will Hickey contributed six.

"We obviously didn't play very well in the fourth quarter. Some of it, we missed some open threes and we missed some layups, and that momentum fed into Lebanon's run," Caporn said.

"We wish that fourth quarter was a bit closer, but I thought we played right and competed, made a few errors, but the 20 to 9 score was because of some missed shots as much as anything. I was really happy with our rebounding and the tenacity on defence in the fourth quarter to keep them (Lebanon) off the three-point line."

The Boomers will face Qatar next in their quest for a Quarter Finals berth, with tip-off on Sunday night at 6pm AEST, live on ESPN, Kayo, and Disney+.