Exum, Ingles Shine In Olympic Quarterfinal For Australia
Aug 3, 2021, 7:52 AM
Joe Ingles and Dante Exum playing for Australia against Argentina (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Joe Ingles and former Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum shined as Australia beat Argentina 97-59 to advance to the semifinals of the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Ingles scored 11 points and handed out seven assists as the Boomers outscored Argentina by 29 with the Jazz veteran on the floor.
Exum, the former fifth overall pick by the Jazz in the 2013 NBA draft, had his best outing of the Olympics scoring nine points on a perfect 4-4 shooting, including a crucial seven points in the third quarter to give Australia a 12 point lead heading into the final period. The Boomers outscored Argentina by a team-high 31 points with Exum on the floor.
Dante Exum has gotten better at these Olympics, this is been a good experience for him.
Just had a seven point third quarter to give Australia some breathing room over Argentina.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) August 3, 2021
Australia used a 19-0 run to open the fourth quarter to build a 31 point lead and guarantee themselves a spot in the semifinals. The Boomers held the Argentine National Team scoreless for the first six minutes of the final period to eliminate the 2004 gold medalists.
With the win, the Australian men have guaranteed themselves a chance to compete for their first medal at the Olympics.
Australia will face the superstar-laden Team USA on Wednesday night with the winner advancing to the gold medal round and the loser competing for bronze.
Earlier in the day, Ingles Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert carried France past Italy to advance to the semifinals. Gobert and the French National Team will face Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Thursday with the winner moving on to face either Australia or Team USA in the Olympic final.
Gobzilla with a big performance. 🦖🇫🇷
📰: https://t.co/mWIE5e0mJb#KSLOlympics #TokyoOlympics
📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/s54yhFDOCP— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 3, 2021
The Australians made the Olympic semifinal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio but fell to Serbia to land in the bronze medal game where they lost to Spain 89-88. Australia once again made the semifinals at the FIBA games in China in 2019 but lost their final two games including the bronze medal game against Gobert and France to fall short of the podium.
Patty Mills, who like Ingles is competing at his fourth Olympics led Australia with 18 points. Argentina was led by Nicolas Laprovittola who scored 16 points.
The gold meal game will be held Friday evening while the bronze medal game will be held Saturday morning for viewers in the Mountain Time Zone.
