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Australia will take on Nigeria in their 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign opener on Sunday, July 25th.
Both teams squared off against each other in Las Vegas on July 14th during the pre-Olympic exhibition games, where the Aussies thumped the Nigerians 108-69.
Some prominent NBA stars like Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, and Aaron Baynes all sat out the fixture, as Chris Goulding (21 points) and Duop Reath (17 points) led the charge for Australia.
Meanwhile, for Nigeria, it was Obi Emegano and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie, who led the scoring charts with 10 points each.
Match Details
Fixture - Australia vs Nigeria | 2020 Tokyo Olympics Basketball
Date & Time - Sunday, July 25th; 6:20 PM AEST (July 25th; 4:20 AM ET).
Venue - Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo
Australia Preview
Australia were scheduled to play four Olympic exhibition games in Las Vegas. However, they ended up playing only three as their second game against Team USA was canceled due to Covid protocols. The Boomers were victorious in all three games they played, beating Nigeria, the USA, and Argentina.
Joe Ingles and Patty Mills will be key stars for the team as they aim to get off to a winning start. The likes of Matisse Thybulle and Aron Baynes will also be expected to step up and provide vital help to the team's two frontline stars.
The Aussies have tremendous firepower and experience in their ranks and will have to make sure they play to their potential. They are one of the few teams who can upset the likes of Team USA and France.
Also Check out: Australian Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Australia enter the Olympics as the number 3 ranked team in FIBA rankings behind the USA and Spain.
Team News: Australia
The Australians are likely to play their best starting five for this game. The backcourt will likely feature San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills and former Cleveland Cavaliers player Matthew Dellavedova, while Joe Ingles, Jack Landale and Aron Baynes will complete the rest of the lineup.
Meanwhile, Matisse Thybulle, Dante Exum, and Nick Kay will likely play key minutes off the bench.
Australia Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Patty Mills | Shooting Guard - Matthew Dellavedova | Small Forward - Joe Ingles | Power Forward - Jack Landale | Center - Aron Baynes
Nigeria Preview
Nigeria are coming off a surprise 2-1 run in exhibition games held in Las Vegas. They beat the USA 90-87 in their opening game and followed it up with a 94-71 blowout win over the number four ranked team in the world, Argentina.
The Nigerians have plenty of NBA players in their ranks, something they will look to capitalize on in their opening game on Sunday. They rely on size and shooting and will be hoping they can be sharp on those fronts against a superior Australian side.
Also Check out: Nigeria Olympic Basketball Team 2021
The likes of Gabe Vincent and Precious Achiuwa will be key players for Nigeria, and the team will be hoping they can get going early on to grab a surprise win to kick start their Olympic campaign.
Team News: Nigeria
Nigeria will likely field the same starting lineup they did against the USA and Argentina during exhibition games.
Josh Okogie of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Gabe Vincent of the Miami Heat will likely start as guards. Meanwhile, Vincent's Heat teammates Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala will start alongside Ike Nwamu on the frontcourt.
From the reserves, Jahlil Okafor, Caleb Agada and Chimezie Metu will likely play the most minutes.
Nigeria Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Gabe Vincent | Shooting Guard - Josh Okogie | Small Forward - KZ Okpala | Power Forward - Ike Nwamu | Center - Precious Achiuwa
Australia vs Nigeria Prediction
Team Australia looks like a much stronger side on paper compared to Nigeria. Joe Ingles and Co. will head into the contest as the overwhelming favorites due to that. However, both teams have excellent shooters and decent size, so that could be one factor that could favor the Nigerians, provided they find their rhythm early on.
Where to Watch Australia vs Nigeria
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be televised in Australia on free-to-air TV on Channel Seven, 7two and 7mate. Australian fans can also watch the Olympics on the streaming platform 7Plus.
NBC is the sole distributor of Olympic coverage in the USA. The network will be spreading coverage across NBC, NBC Sports, NBC's Olympic Channel, CNBC, USA, and the Golf Channel. Fans can also stream on NBC's Olympic website, NBC.com, or the NBC app.
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