https://www.smh.com.au/sport/basket...s-to-keep-campaign-alive-20230829-p5e0cm.html
Xavier Cooks has been a hero for the two-time NBL champions Sydney Kings and he brought out those same heroics to keep the Australia Boomers alive in the FIBA World Cup in Okinawa on Tuesday night.
Cooks came off the bench to score 24 points and 16 rebounds in 23 minutes while Josh Giddey had 26 points and 11 assists as the Boomers beat Japan 109-89 to seal their place in the crossover rounds.
Xavier Cooks dunks for the Boomers against Japan.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
A loss to Germany on Sunday night and Japan’s upset win over Finland meant the Boomers had to beat Japan or they would have been out of the tournament.
The Boomers can also lock in their place at Paris 2024 as early as Wednesday night if Greece beat New Zealand in their final group game. Whoever finishes higher out of the Boomers and Tall Blacks will take Oceania’s direct spot in the Olympics, the other will have to play a winner-takes-all qualifying tournament next year.
“It feels great and I think we had 19 assists at half-time, the ball was really flying around,” Cooks told broadcasters after the game.
“We have kind of a new group and we are starting to figure that stuff out now. It’s looking pretty good.”
Josh Giddey drives to the basket against Japan.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
Germany topped Australia’s Group E with a 3-0 record and the Boomers took second place with a 2-1 record. They will form a crossover group with Group F with Luka Doncic’s Slovenia and either Georgia or Cape Verde.
Group F finishes its games on Wednesday night.
Xavier Cooks has been a hero for the two-time NBL champions Sydney Kings and he brought out those same heroics to keep the Australia Boomers alive in the FIBA World Cup in Okinawa on Tuesday night.
Cooks came off the bench to score 24 points and 16 rebounds in 23 minutes while Josh Giddey had 26 points and 11 assists as the Boomers beat Japan 109-89 to seal their place in the crossover rounds.
Xavier Cooks dunks for the Boomers against Japan.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
A loss to Germany on Sunday night and Japan’s upset win over Finland meant the Boomers had to beat Japan or they would have been out of the tournament.
The Boomers can also lock in their place at Paris 2024 as early as Wednesday night if Greece beat New Zealand in their final group game. Whoever finishes higher out of the Boomers and Tall Blacks will take Oceania’s direct spot in the Olympics, the other will have to play a winner-takes-all qualifying tournament next year.
“It feels great and I think we had 19 assists at half-time, the ball was really flying around,” Cooks told broadcasters after the game.
“We have kind of a new group and we are starting to figure that stuff out now. It’s looking pretty good.”
Josh Giddey drives to the basket against Japan.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
Germany topped Australia’s Group E with a 3-0 record and the Boomers took second place with a 2-1 record. They will form a crossover group with Group F with Luka Doncic’s Slovenia and either Georgia or Cape Verde.
Group F finishes its games on Wednesday night.