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The Boomers kept their World Cup dream alive on Tuesday with a comfortable, if unconvincing, 109-89 win over host nation Japan.
Now a bigger test awaits them: a date with Slovenia and their NBA superstar, Doncic, in a replay of the game for third place from the 2021 Games.
The Boomers triumphed, taking Australia’s first men’s medal at a major tournament in six decades.
Green’s bet with Doncic – stipulating that the Slovenian had to wear a Boomers jersey in a losing Mavs NBA game – made world headlines.
The Sydney-born forward confirmed that he has not placed a new bid on the loser of Friday’s World Cup clash.
“Yeah, we haven’t made a bet yet.” . . so that’s still up in the air,” Green said after the game when asked by Code Sports.
“At the end of the day we are both competitive, we are ready to go, so we know who Luka is and what a good player he is.
“But we’re going to do our job, make sure we make our movie, and we’ll stick to the game plan.
“Obviously there’s history, but at the end of the day that’s a thing of the past and it’s about what happens on Friday and I think we’ll be good to go.”
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian felt the weight of the basketball world resting on his shoulders before the Japan game.
Ironically, it was the same expectation he experienced before Australia won the Olympic bronze medal over Slovenia after a semi-final loss to the United States.
Two years later, the pressure returned after Sunday’s three-point loss in the World Cup group stage against Germany.
“And you come into this game and it’s like you’re training for your life and the team is playing for their life,” Goorjian said.
“The Olympic Games were at stake, it was at stake to keep going and an enthusiastic team that had played tremendously on their home court.
“So I’m happy to go to the next stage with this group because I think we’re getting better.
“We’re going to have to be on point (to beat Slovenia), but I’m very excited that we have this opportunity.”
Australia head into Friday’s big game in Slovenia on a quicker step after a confidence-instilling win over the hosts in Okinawa.
The Boomers were heavy favorites, but they had to overcome a rowdy hometown crowd that created a hotbed of national pride.
World Cup rookies Josh Giddey, Xavier Cooks and Josh Green led Australia’s charge with brilliant displays of FIBA basketball.
Giddey had 14 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds at halftime before finishing with 26 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.
Cooks was terrific in the first half, dropping 14 points and adding four rebounds in just 11 minutes on the floor.
The former Sydney King and NBL MVP didn’t slow down in the second half to post a World Cup-dominant double-double: 24 points, 16 rebounds and one block.
Green, who started, scored 15 points to cap off a memorable night.
Goorjian hailed Australia’s dominant first-half performance, fueled by Giddey, Green and Cooks, as the team’s “blueprint” for success.
“I’ve talked a lot about the change since the experience we had at the last Olympic Games and we’re going through an evolution,” he said.
“Some guys get spit on, some guys get moved and three big pieces tonight, Josh Giddey, Josh Green and Xavier Cooks, are three guys.
“That’s what we’ve been talking about for the future of the team: because they’re going to get better with more international experience.”
Australia also stepped up their trademark tenacious defence, though they would be disappointed if they lost the second half 54-52 after limiting the Japanese to just 35 in the first half.
The Boomers now have a goal on their backs after winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, but veteran leader Patty Mills welcomed the added pressure.
Australia also have to deal with the added weight that every match from now on will be imperative to further progress in the tournament.
“This is the World Cup, they are not going to give us anything on a silver platter,” Mills said.
“Everyone is going to do their best, we understand that this is going to be difficult. That pressure, we welcome it.”
The 20-point win over Japan also helped the Boomers move one step closer to an automatic qualifying position for next year’s Paris Olympics.
If the Australians failed to beat Japan, they risked opening the door for New Zealand to take Oceania’s only direct qualifying spot.
Both nations had 1-1 records going into Tuesday.
Fortunately, the Australians defeated the Japanese and brought their record to 2-1.
New Zealand take on Greece on Wednesday night and a defeat would earn the Aussies their ticket to Paris.
GREEN EXCEEDS IN THE FIVE PARTICIPANTS:
The Boomers opted to change the starting lineup for the game against Japan.
Green moved into the first five to replace Matisse Thybulle.
The Mavs star had been battling a sprained left ankle, but has come back and makes a lot of sense as a starter given his defensive presence, athleticism and shooting.
He also starred while playing in the starting five during Australia’s warm-up win over France in Tokyo.
The move to elevate Green had an immediate payoff when he produced a four-point play.
He looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, while his aggressiveness and activity on the defensive end was a game changer.
However, buoyed by a boisterous home crowd, Japan went toe to toe with the Boomers in early trade.
The Japanese got within three in the first quarter thanks to seven points from big man Joshua Hawkinson.
This was the closest Japan had come, with the Boomers reaching a 23-point lead in the second quarter thanks to a 22-9 run.
Australia kept up the fury in the third quarter to open up a 27-point lead. Japan refused to go, cutting the lead to 15 in the final draw, but the Boomers steadied themselves to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
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