Jerome Randle had 25 points against the Clippers.Source: AFPTHE Sydney Kings didn’t look completely out of place against an NBA team, giving the Los Angeles Clippers a scare in their NBLxNBA matchup.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Kings were within two possessions of the Clippers, but late scoring outburst from Doc Rivers’ team saw them ultimately walk away with the 110-91 lead.
Following the Perth Wildcats’ blowout loss to the Utah Jazz, the NBL needed reviving, and the Kings did just that, sticking with the Clippers for the majority of their Honolulu affair; even winning the second quarter.
Randle led all scorers with 25 points, showing off his impressive handle and shot-making, proving that he can compete against an NBA opposition; the Clippers possessing one of the best defensive back-courts in the league, in Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley.
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Simmons clowns NBL champs
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Tobias Harris had a team-high 20 points for the Clippers, who had seven players finish in double figures in what was their first game, and win, of the preseason.
Kevin Lisch played as well as he has over the Kings’ entire preseason, posting 16 points, while Andrew Bogut finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
The game started just like many others in the NBL vs NBA series: with a big run.
A Beverley three-pointer capped off a 9-0 opening stretch for the Clippers, before David Wear got the Kings on the board with a three of his own.
The Kings ran their sets will in the first quarter, keeping the game relatively close, but the Clippers were able to jump out to a 28-17 lead by the end of it.
It was the second period where the Kings went on a roll. Daniel Kickert made a series of three-pointers, before Randle maneuvered his way inside the paint to get his scoring total to 14 at the half; the Kings trailing just 59-54.
A back-and-forth third quarter set the stage for the Kings to attempt what would be an unlikely win, and the final period started on a high note for Andrew Gaze’s team. A Tom Wilson layup was followed up by a Bogut hook shot; a dunk from the centre capping off an 8-2 run, with the Kings trailing 84-80 with just under nine minutes to go.
From there, we saw the Clippers’ poise come into effect, with the NBA team making the most of its opportunities, while the NBL team failed to convert relatively easy chances as the game slipped away.
The loss was the Kings’ final game of their preseason, with all eyes pointing toward their regular season opener against the Adelaide 36ers on October 13.
MORE NBA PRESEASON SCORES
— LeBron James made his preseason debut for the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing with nine points, three rebounds, and three assists in a 124-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
— The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 104-100. Patty Mills had four points and four assists off the bench.
— The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-112. Aron Baynes earned the start, posting eight points and six rebounds in the win.
— The Chicago Bulls defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 128-116.
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TO defeat the USA in international basketball, you need to be as close to perfect as possible.
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Unfortunately for the Australian Opals, they weren’t able to do that, with an impressive FIBA Women’s World Cup campaign ending in tears for a team that showed its immense potential over the course of the tournament.
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Liz Cambage, who was the tournament’s most productive player, couldn’t find her rhythm on the offensive end, as the USA was able to cruise to a 73-56 win, and World Cup gold.
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The Australian centre was extremely effective defensively, but finished with just seven points and 14 rebounds, as the Opals walked away from the Tenerife, Spain event with a silver medal.
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Brittney Griner led the way for the Americans with 15 points, while Breanna Stewart posted 10 points and eight rebounds in what was a scrappy affair for both teams. Australia shot just 32.8 percent from the field, but the USA wasn’t much better, shooting 35.2 percent as a unit.
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At the end, the USA’s star power was too much for the Opals, but their head coach was proud of the team’s effort throughout the tournament.
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“I’m very proud of the team,” Brondello said, postgame.
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“To win a silver medal; it’s hard to win any medal at any major championship, and we face a lot of adversity just to get here. Look, I’m proud. Disappointed with the game and how it went, but very proud of this team.”
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After the grand final, Cambage was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, joined by the USA’s Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, Spain’s Astou Ndour, and Belgium’s Emma Meeseman. Stewart was named the MVP of the tournament, averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over the USA’s six wins.
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Cambage led all scorers at the event with 23.6 points a game, to go with 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.
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It was the USA who opened the game strong, putting together a 10-0 run from the tip; a stretch broken by a Katie Ebzery jump-shot.
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Cambage first got on the board at the end of the first quarter, with a mid-range jumper, but the Opals’ role players are who stepped up to keep it close. Alanna Smith was impressive on both ends, while Sami Whitcomb brought a veteran poise to the Opals’ sets.
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While Cambage wasn’t involved heavily in the first half — and she was booed by the Spanish fans every time she touched the ball — her teammates stepped up, and the next to do so was Ezi Magbegor, the 19-year-old who fearlessly converted some crafty finishes inside the paint.
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A trio of Taurasi free throws gave the USA their biggest lead of the half — 35-23 — but back to back jumpers from Bec Allen and Ebzery cut the Opals’ deficit to 35-27 entering the main break.
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Sue Bird opened the second half with a deep three, with the USA taking advantage of a game where Cambage was out of rhythm on the offensive end.
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Still, the Australian centre put on an imposing performance defensively, doing a particularly good job against Griner inside.
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A Breanna Stewart jumper gave the USA a 15-point lead, before the decision to bench Cambage led to a mini idividual run by Griner.
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A pair of threes from Smith kept the USA from extending its lead significantly, but a improbable shot from the deep corner from Taurasi put the proverbial dagger into the Australians.
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The ability to dominate inside saw the USA take an extra leap, entering the final period with a 61-38 lead; a gold medal in clear view.
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The USA played most of its bench to close out the game, with Australia able to cut the deficit slightly; Dawn Staley’s team cruising to the 73-56 victory.
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Spain earned third place after defeating Belgium 67-60.
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While Cambage wasn’t able to provide her typical offensive output, Australia got production from its young players, with Brondello lauding them after the game.
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“It was good to see Ezi. She’s 19,” Brondello said.
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“She came on and she had no fear, and that was good. I want that. Usually there’s an intimidation factor with the USA, with the younger players, but we just need to go out there and play hard.
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“The future (for the Opals) looks good, but we know we have to continue to develop. We can’t stay still, and they will develop with more experience that they have. I’m exciting for the build-up now, these next two years, looking to Tokyo.”
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***
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Olgun Uluc covers basketball for Fox Sports Australia. Twitter: @OlgunUluc
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LAUREN Jackson will be watching the Australian Opals’ gold medal game against the USA from her home in Albury.
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The basketball legend’s new son will join her — she’s expecting another baby in January — and “maybe his grandparents if they wake up.”
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Of all the people in Australia, Jackson knows what it takes to win at the highest level of national competition. She led the Opals to their first and only gold medal at this event, back in 2006, and has been mesmerised by what the 2018 team has accomplished. In Jackson’s eyes, Liz Cambage has been “completely unstoppable” on an Opals team that’s “not afraid of anything”, and exhibiting a trait the group hasn’t shown in recent memory.
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“My mum said it earlier, but they’re just playing really, super confident basketball,” Jackson told foxsports.com.au on Sunday evening. “They’re not afraid of anything.
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“That, coupled with the fact that they’re highly talented, and Lizzy, at the moment, is just completely unstoppable. She’s just dominating. It’s gonna give them an edge they haven’t had in many, many, many years. It’s what we haven’t had for a long time.”
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Cambage’s impressive production has been evident in all five of the Opals’ wins, with the centre dominating both inside and outside the paint, leading all players at the FIBA Women’s World Cup with 27.2 points a game.
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Even in Australia’s semi-final win over Spain — the team’s first close game of the tournament — Cambage couldn’t be stopped, posting 34 points, and it’s that sort of impact that left Jackson confused as to why Opals weren’t favoured more highly heading into the event. Cambage was coming off a WNBA season where she led the league in scoring, helped her Dallas Wings to a post-season berth, and was named to the All-WNBA First Team, emerging as one of the best players in the world.
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“I think everyone has known how good she could be, and wanted to be,” Jackson said.
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“Just seeing her happy and playing the sport is pretty special. Clearly, when she’s enjoying it, she’s just completely on another planet.
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“It was really interesting, because FIBA picked Australia to come third or fifth, and the first thing that went through my head was, ‘okay, they’ve got the most dominant player in the world’. It was disrespectful.
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“She’s in the best league in the world, in America, she’s getting beaten up against the best post players, night in and night out, and still dominating over there. You don’t think she’s gonna dominate a World championships? She’s gonna kill it. of course she is. It’s just been awesome to watch her shine.”
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Jackson pointed to Cambage’s break, post-Rio, and her season in the WNBL, as reasons why the 27-year-old has been able to get into a better headspace.
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“It made her ready for Dallas, and she’s super fit at the moment,” Jackson said. “She’s in the peak of her career, and she will be for the next few years, and that should be frightening for the Americans, for a lot of teams that will have to come up against her.”
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Jackson’s success with the Opals — ranging from World Championship gold, to Olympic silver — is the envy of every Australian basketball player, and why she’s widely regarded as the country’s greatest of all time, regardless of gender.
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Entering the 2018 Women’s World Cup, Cambage was the clear on-court leader for the Opals, but had yet to lead the team to consistent success in major competitions. In her own words, she though she was ‘cursed’. Entering the fourth quarter of the semi-final against Spain, Cambage thought that sentiment would manifest again, but an inspired run led to an impressive comeback win, and it’s something Jackson thinks will help the Opals as they prepare to face the USA.
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“I think it helps them a lot, because they hadn’t really had a test all tournament,” Jackson said.
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“For them to play in a game that tight, and for them to pull it out, that’s gonna help them, especially against America. If they do pull it off (against the USA), it’s not gonna be a blowout. It’s gonna be a tight game. At least they know that they can stick with it, and deal with the highs and lows of that type of game.”
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Jackson and Cambage have texted throughout the Opals’ undefeated run through the tournament. The three-time WNBA MVP is the only person who can truly empathise with the position Australia’s current superstar is in.
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Cambage is one of the most dominant players in basketball — a title Jackson once held — and the Seattle Storm icon’s last message to her mentee was, in effect, to show just that.
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“The last thing I said to her was to lead the way, but that it’ll also come down to your teammates stepping up and having a good game as well,” Jackson said.
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“I think, for her, and for the girls — obviously Lizzy is a huge part of their success — but the rest of the team really needs to step up against the US, because they have a team full of superstars. You’re playing against the best in the world, at most positions.
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Jackson continued, showing reverence for an stacked American team, featuring players the two-time WNBA Champion once matched up with: “I know how deep America is. I know how good they are.
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“Even though Sue (Bird) and Diana (Taurasi) might not be at their best basketball because they’re, sort of, ageing a little bit, their experience and their leadership is going to account for so much.
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“And, the bigs that they’ve got. They’ve got Brittney Griner, (Elena) Delle-Donne, Tina Charles, Nneka Ogwumike; they’ve got everybody. count how many MVPs are playing in that game tomorrow, for America. It’s insane.
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We counted. It’s five. Five MVPs and a host of the country’s best young players, who are tasked with facing Cambage, arguably the most dominant player on the planet, and an Opals team brimming with confidence.
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Jackson knew Cambage would be in this position “the first time I saw her play,” and, while it took some time, and some growth, she has Australia within a win of World Cup gold.
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Add a seasoned coach in Sandy Brondello, a leader like O’Hea, the sharpshooting Sami Whitcomb, and a group of fearless complementary players, and Jackson isn’t just confident they can compete; she’s confident they can win.
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“The US is so deep, and it really is gonna take a remarkable effort from the Australians, but I believe they can do it,” she said.
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“They’ve got Sandy, who knows the American players. You’ve got Lizzy, who’s no doubt the best.
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“I’ve gotta pick the Opals to win it, but it’s gonna be a tough one. I’m gonna be cheering for ‘em.”
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***
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Olgun Uluc covers basketball for Fox Sports Australia. Twitter: @OlgunUluc
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