AUS/RUS – Bogut back with a BOOM as Aussies stun European champions Russia

BEIJING (Olympics) – Australia coach Brian Goorjian stood up for Andrew Bogut and the big center thanked him by leading the Boomers to a 95-80 upset of European champions Russia and into the quarter-finals of the Olympics.

With Bogut facing criticism in the Australian media for a slow start to the Beijing Games, Goorjian hit back by arguing that the Milwaukee Bucks center needed some help and against the Russians, the Melbourne big man delivered big style with 22 points and eight rebounds.

"Nobody believes in us but us,” Bogut said. “Everyone is doubting us. People didn't think we were going to get to the next round so this is an accomplishment. This was our goal going into the Olympics.”

David Andersen, one of Europe’s top players at CSKA Moscow the past few seasons, also responded with 11 points and five boards.

Andersen and Bogut were a combined seven of nine from the floor in the first half, which opened up the Boomers’ outside game.

They nailed six of 14 from behind the arc in the first two quarters.

Mark Worthington’s three-point play sparked a 13-0 run which gave the Aussies a 32-16 lead and they took a 49-33 advantage to half-time.

Russia managed to cut the deficit to 51-44 in the third quarter on a basket from Alexey Savrasenko (16pts 4rbs), but Bogut replied with a three-pointer.

That was as close at last year’s EuroBasket winners would get.

Russia coach David Blatt experienced one of the ultimate highs in European basketball just one year ago in Madrid when he led the country to the EuroBasket gold medal with a thrilling final win over hosts Spain.

Now he’s on a big low.

"You have to tip off your hat to Australia,” he said.

“They played great basketball and there's no denying they were much better.

"It's very disappointing for us. The way that we played, I didn't see this coming. I knew that coming into this tournament we weren't the same team that we were last year.

“We've had too many difficulties, too many unfortunate things have happened along the way and we just didn't find a way to recover from them.

“It sort of came out in an exaggerated and painful way today. We have to accept the responsibility for our performance today."

One of the most difficult parts to the Russian build-up was the uncertainty over Viktor Khryapa. A sprained ankle suffered during the preparations nearly knocked the CSKA Moscow forward out of the Beijing Games.

Blatt decided to include him in the team and Khryapa justified his place with inspirational play.

Against Australia, he was the Russians’ best player, burying all six of his attempts from behind the arc on his way to a team-best 21 points. He also corralled nine rebounds and swatted two shots.

The player who was far from the type of performance that he put on at EuroBasket 2007 was the MVP of that tournament, Andrei Kirilenko.

‘AK-47’ had a tough Olympics, missing nine of his 20 free throws in the team’s narrow setback to Lithuania on Wednesday and then making just one of 10 shots from the floor against Australia.

"We are very disappointed,” Kirilenko said. “We are not going through to the next round and it's a huge disappointment for us."

Brad Newley, the Australia swingman, said the game-plan was to disrupt the Russians as much as possible.

“We really fought,” Newley said. “Guys who have been really quiet throughout the series came out and really played today.”

The one-two punch of Andersen and Bogut truly set the tone for the victory, giving them an inside presence the Boomers desperately needed.

When the teams went to the changing rooms, the pair had combined for 21 points and seven rebounds.

"Andrew Bogut is the cornerstone of this team but he can't carry this team,” Australia coach Brian Goorjian said.

“When we win he is great, when we lose it's Andrew Bogut's fault.

“He was great today. I thought he was very good in the last game. I think he has handled the highs and lows great.”

Bogut’s signature moment came in the second half when the Russians turned up the intensity on defense and were threatening to make a run.

He got the ball on the low blocks, went up strong and dunked over Andrey Vorontsevich.

The win has put the Australians into the quarter-finals.

In his opening comments to the media, Goorjian said: "Seven years of work and a rollercoaster ride that I was feeling with the group since we got here that we have been second class citizens in this.

“We have been a team that has been under the bar, a team that hasn't been able to get over the hump in major competition and has not been able to beat a European power.
 
"We took a soft approach inside against Argentina and Croatia. We talked about everything comes down to today.”

Now Lithuania become a major game for the Aussies, whose other win in Beijing came against Iran.

"We have one more game in hand,” Bogut said. “We want to beat Lithuania. If we don't win that game, we know it's a (quarter-final) match-up against the United States.

“Lithuania are one of the best teams in the world, they are still undefeated.”

FIBA