AUS/IRI – Australia taste victory with decisive win over Iran

BEIJING (Olympics) – Australia put two bad defeats behind them and destroyed Iran on Thursday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
 
Brad Newley scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the first half as the Boomers rolled to a 106-68 triumph.
 
The Boomers next face Russia before going up against Lithuania and Newley knows that clash, just as the one against Iran was, will be a do-or-die game for the Australians as they attempt to make it to the last eight.
 
“That’s the monkey off our backs,” Newley said after their first win here in Beijing.
 
“It means everything to get a win at the Olympics.
 
“Saturday’s game against Russia is now a knockout game for us. We need to recover, celebrate this one and get ready for them.”
 
Australia had played so poorly in their first two games that some felt the Boomers might struggle against Iran, but they stormed out to a 16-3 lead in the first five minutes and never turned back.
 
With Iran trying to stay within touching distance, Brian Goorjian’s team went on an 11-0 run late in the second quarter for a 50-27 lead  to put the result beyond doubt.
 
The Aussies have come in for criticism after heavy defeats to Croatia and Argentina in their first two games.
 
“We played the Olympic champions and a powerhouse in Europe,” Newley said.
 
“Those games really prepared us for what we needed to do in this one. Those early games are going to help us down the stretch.”
 
When the game was over against Iran, Australia’s vaunted pressure defense that had been absence in their losses had forced Iran into 28 turnovers.
 
Goorjian’s team also dominated the boards, out-rebounding them 39-25.
 
Russia are the European champions but Newley said: “We’re not going to back down from anyone. We need to come out and play like the underdogs that we are.”
 
Iran, meanwhile, lost for the third straight game.
 
They got 23 points from captain Samad Nikkhah, who buried four of his seven shots from three-point range.
 
“We knew they were going to come out hard and try to bring back the confidence in their team,” Samad said, before adding: “I think they have a chance to beat Russia.”

FIBA