httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLYbQ4m9Lw
Australian basketball players are not known for their gentle, stylish approach to the game.
Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut, two members of the Australian national team, have reputations for hard fouls and borderline contact.
After Team USA was hit in the mouth and struggled with the Boomers Wednesday before finally pulling away for a 98-88 victory, Indiana Pacers forward Paul George admitted t was an adjustment period in getting used to the Australian style … and then he just straight-up called them dirty.
“We knew that coming in – this team has a knack for being a little dirty.”
Dellavedova drew George’s ire early, goading the Team USA forward into a technical foul just minutes into the contest.
LeBron James suffers with this same dynamic in the NBA. But the reality is that Bogut mostly frustrated the Americans with brutal screens which could have been managed a little better if USA’s bigs had called out the screens.
The problem seemed less about any “Dirty” play and more about how the Australians’ NBA talent and precision preparation caught Team USA off guard.
Team USA still got the win, and if the two teams meet again in the medal round, they will not be caught off guard again.