Australia triumphed over Spain with a score of 92-80 in their Olympic Group A men’s basketball opener on Saturday at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
The Australians set a strong pace from the start, finishing seven points ahead in a contentious first half. A notable incident occurred between Spain’s Usman Garuba and Australia’s Josh Green, leading to both players receiving bookings. Additionally, Golden State Warriors forward Usman Garuba was booed by the crowd after fouling Australia’s Josh Giddey.
Despite a valiant effort from Spain’s captain, Rudy Fernandez—making his record sixth appearance at the Games, the most by any male basketball player—Spain could not secure a victory.
Spain, three-time silver medalists, aim to improve on their sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Games. In other Group A matchups, Greece faces Canada, while Group B sees Germany against Japan and hosts France against Brazil later on Saturday.