The U.S. men’s basketball team is star-studded, and not just because of their American attire. This is an All-NBA team wrapped up and presented as an Olympic team, and anything less than a gold medal in Paris would be immensely disappointing.
There’s immense pressure on this team to win. And because of that pressure, they need to prepare. They need to figure out how to play as a unit, and their game against Australia should help them move closer to that goal.
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Of course, Australia won’t be a pushover. After all, the team won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, and boasts several players in the NBA or with NBA experience. This will be a good benchmark to see how the United States will perform in Paris.
Here’s everything to know about this exhibition matchup:
Predictions for USA vs. Australia:
USA Basketball: Australia will prove a tough test
Cameron Kennedy writes, “Most recent, the Australians defeated the Chinese 91-58 riding a hot second-half performance led by Chris Goulding and Jock Landale. Landale finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in 22 minutes of play. Australia’s defense was consistent throughout, allowing China to score only 58 points while forcing 26 turnovers. With the veteran presence of Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Ingles, the Australians will pose a challenge having played together for four exhibition games to this point.”
What is the rest of the U.S. exhibition schedule?
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July 17: USA vs. Serbia, noon ET | Fox Sports 1
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July 20: USA vs. South Sudan, 3 p.m. ET | Fox
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July 22: USA vs. Germany, 3 p.m. ET | Fox
How to watch men’s basketball exhibition USA vs. Australia:
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Date: Monday, July 15
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Time: Noon ET
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Where: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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TV: Fox Sports 1
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Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
Stream the game: Watch Team USA vs. Australia with fubo (free trial)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Odds, predictions, how to watch U.S. men’s basketball vs. Australia
