The USA defeats Australia despite sloppy turnovers in Olympic basketball warm-up.

The USA overcame a spirited effort from Australia for a 98-92 victory in a pre-Olympic exhibition match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Patty Mills hit a three-pointer from the left wing, pulling the Boomers within six at 86-80 during a 0-for-7 shooting slump for Team USA. However, after Australia missed a three-pointer and two close-range attempts to narrow the gap further, Tyrese Haliburton sank back-to-back corner threes, extending the lead to 92-80 and effectively sealing the win. Jock Landale was a standout for Australia, finishing with 20 points and seven offensive rebounds.

With USA coach Steve Kerr adjusting the starting lineup at halftime, Australia remained competitive well into the second half, scoring consistently in the paint but struggling to contain Team USA’s big men. Anthony Davis contributed 17 points and seven rebounds, helping the US to overcome a sluggish second half. The Americans dealt with self-inflicted wounds, including empty possessions and 18 turnovers, mirroring the 15 turnovers they had in last week's exhibition victory over Canada.

“In the third quarter, we started turning the ball over,” Kerr said. “We gave up a lot of points at the basket, with back cuts and offensive boards. The game shifted. It's a good lesson for us to learn now rather than later. This will be a useful tape for us to watch. But credit to Australia; they were great, fought hard, and were very physical. They really made it a game in the last quarter and a half.”

Similar to the Canada game, the US’s so-called second unit – Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Davis, and Devin Booker – changed the game. This group was on the floor when the Americans turned a 19-19 tie with 3:15 left in the first quarter into a 39-23 lead, a 20-4 run in just five minutes.

Kerr started this group in the second half, highlighting a clear trend: when the US turns to their bench, replacing All-Stars with other All-Stars, it becomes a significant problem for opponents lacking such depth.

“The strength of our team is our depth, and we have to utilize it,” Kerr said.

Josh Giddey (17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) led the Boomers confidently, while Dyson Daniels (14 points), Will Magnay (eight points), and Jack McVeigh (nine points) made impactful contributions off the bench.

Patty Mills (five points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals) started alongside Giddey, Daniels, Landale, and Nick Kay. However, Mills continued his cold shooting streak, making just two of eight attempts in 22 minutes.

“The exciting part was we got better as the game went on,” said Australia coach Brian Goorjian of the defending Olympic bronze medalists. “My job now is to convince my team, ‘How do you win?’ We came back with the style we wanted to play, emphasizing defense. In the second half, we showed grit, got back to the bump and grind, and controlled the game's tempo.”

The second game in the Abu Dhabi showcase pits Serbia against the USA – both in the same Olympic pool in Paris – on Wednesday. The US has two more exhibition games in London before the Olympics. Australia will also face Nikola Jokic’s Serbia before starting their Olympic campaign against Spain on July 27 in France.