Goran Dragic accuses Australia of throwing game in FIBA World Cup

[Encre92]

His twitter: Goran Dragic

Basketball is a beautiful sport, there is no room for fixing the game like today Australia vs Angola!! @FIBA should do something about that!

I believe him.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

He was referring to Australia's blatant tanking, you dunce.

[masonanddixon]

He was referring to Australia's blatant tanking, you dunce.

explain

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

explain

The Boomers have rejected suggestions their shock loss to Angola at the basketball World Cup was a tank job to avoid a quarter-final showdown with Team USA. Australia, chasing a fourth straight victory for the first time in their World Cup history, were downed 91-83 by Africa’s No.1-ranked team after fielding a second-string team and letting a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter slip.

With a ticket to the round of 16 already booked, coach Andrej Lemanis made a pre-match decision to rest his two best performing players of the tournament, star centre Aron Baynes and the sharp-shooting Joe Ingles, while giving fellow starters Matthew Dellavedova and David Andersen less than four minutes each.

The loss conveniently puts Australia in a stronger position to challenge for a maiden medal at the tournament, by ensuring they avoid Team USA until the semi-finals. Lithuania’s later victory over Slovenia in the final Group D match dropped Australia to third in the group, putting them on the opposite side of the draw to the basketball powerhouse Americans.

But when challenged by reporters on whether his side had contested the match in the spirit of the game, Lemanis was defiant, arguing the heavy tournament schedule demanded he rest his players before the next stage of competition. “We always, as Australians, compete the right way,” he said.

When it was pointed out that some would view the loss, and Australia’s role in it, with a modicum of doubt, Lemanis was nonplussed. “People will make up their own minds,” he said. “There’s always going to be speculators. I can’t control what people think.”

But when pressed on whether Australia had entered the game with a mindset that losing was acceptable, Lemanis responded: “Nobody likes losing. (The loss) doesn’t guarantee us third spot. There’s still games to be played that will determine the outcome of the pool. We have no control over that game. That was always the case coming in.”

For much of the match it appeared Australia would cruise to a history-making fourth straight win, with little-used guard Chris Goulding shooting a team-high 22 points as the Boomers opened up a 15-point buffer. It was also an opportunity to see highly-rated No.5 NBA draft pick Dante Exum in action, and the 19-year-old didn’t disappoint - scoring 12 points and handing out six assists in his 31 minutes on court.

But an Angolan charge, led by dynamic young star Yanick Moreira’s outstanding 38-point display, started midway through the third quarter and they cut the lead to just two at the final break. The onslaught continued thereafter as Australia carelessly gave up the ball, committing 18 turnovers, and played lacklustre defence as the clock wound down in the eight-point loss - prompting the tanking calls.

But if tanking was on the agenda, it was something that was supported by Boomers legend Shane Heal, in Spain in a commentary role. “[It is] un Australian not to give yourself the best chance to medal,” he wrote on Twitter. “No medals given on pool placings. Pathway to final 4 is the key.”

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...ball-world-cup
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...usa-down-line/

[masonanddixon]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...ball-world-cup
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...usa-down-line/

Ah ok. Thats interesting. They should just man up and play the US

[andremiller07]

So resting players is tanking lol smh, dude you do what you can to get the best result possible for you. Look at how it worked for the Spurs......

[bdreason]

Australia definitely tanked for the 3rd spot. Nothing you can really do about it though.

[poido123]

Game wasn't fixed.

Australia threw the game, that's it.

We shouldn't have a situation where a team gains something by losing.

[Walker]

Meh, resting the starters was just plain smart business.

I'm not surprised one bit that the Boomers lost that game, having watched all their games so far their motion offence is nothing short of anemic, the wings (especially Broekhoff) just stand around flat footed.

Coming into the later stages the team is gonna be picked to pieces against teams with good big men that can stop Baynes from being our "get out of jail" free card..

[hahaitme]

Eh, it's a win win for Australia - they dodge US and they rest their starters (some had some legitimate injuries I think).

They had already qualified for the next round, why tire your star players out. Don't see this as any different from when Pop rests his Spurs.

[iamgine]

The problem is not with resting players. The problem stems from intentionally losing. It's against the spirit of the game even though maybe it's smart from other perspective.

There was a problem with this in badminton a short while ago and all the players involved was disqualified:

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2...g-lose-matches

[Ass Dan]

This proves two things:

1-American superiority in basketball to the point that people will drop from 1 seed to 3 seed to avoid playing them.

America








rest of the field.

Hilarious! and this is a pretty ho hum US team, what if it was Melo, Durant, Bran Sauce etc..?

2-FIBA is a corrupt second rate institution unable to police its members and give true value to the fans. The rest of the world is too messed up when it comes to sports, and this proves American sports superiority.

[BoutPractice]

Happens all the time. If you don't want teams to abuse the format, don't use a format that can easily be abused.

[SpanishACB]

This proves two things:

1-American superiority in basketball to the point that people will drop from 1 seed to 3 seed to avoid playing them.

America








rest of the field.

Hilarious! and this is a pretty ho hum US team, what if it was Melo, Durant, Bran Sauce etc..?

2-FIBA is a corrupt second rate institution unable to police its members and give true value to the fans. The rest of the world is too messed up when it comes to sports, and this proves American sports superiority.

1. happens in plenty of sports where the US isn't even relevant
2. FIBA had nothing to do with this. Team decides to throw the game to avoid the worst match up next round. It's a loophole that isn't punished because you would enter in a very grey area of separating tanking, from resting, from coaches having the right to play who they want... etc if FIBA regulated this or any other sports ruling institution it would be them playing omniscient as if they were gods or knew what went inside the minds of players and coaches

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Good to see my boy Aron Baynes getting some much needed rest in anticipation for another championship run next season.