Australia Proves Its Case as Top Challenger to Team USA

If Australia hadn't shown up to win, if it hadn't fought like crazy, if it hadn't legitimately put a scare into Team USA and maybe even deserved to win Wednesday, whatever remaining Olympic basketball drama there was in Rio would have evaporated.

But the Boomers did all those things during a spirited 98-88 loss that was far closer than the result would suggest. In taking the fight to the U.S. like no other team has, Australia not only heightened the anticipation of a second meeting in the medal round but also decisively solidified its spot as Team USA's top competition.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski readily acknowledged the Aussies' quality, telling reporters afterward, via Sam Amick of USA Today and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe:

Australia led by five at the half, which prompted a shocking dive into Team USA history by Bryan Armen Graham of the Guardian, and kept the score within five down to the final minute of the game:

Unfazed by the U.S.' depth and athleticism, the Aussies played exactly the type of aggressive, irritating, physical ball you'd expect from a team led by Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut.

Delly goaded Paul George into a technical foul during the game's first three minutes, which in hindsight should have been the first signal that Australia was dictating the terms of engagement.

MARK RALSTON/Getty Images

Bogut, who looked sprier and more confident than at almost any point during his most recent NBA season, laid out Kyrie Irving on two separate occasions in the first half and later clobbered Kevin Durant on a drive. He finished a handful of graceful alley-oops on the way to 15 points while also defending the rim with three blocks.

Australia didn't just bruise its way into a competitive game; it also displayed serious polish and skill.

Patty Mills buried five threes and hit 11 of his 22 shots from the field as a direct result of terrific offensive execution. The Boomers kept the ball hopping, augmenting the effectiveness of all those quick passes with tons of player movement and bone-jarring screens. The result, as Paul Garcia of Project Spurs chronicled, was yet another high assist tally:

From a pure offensive-precision standpoint, Australia outplayed Team USA, per NBA analyst Nate Duncan:

And while the bench behind the Aussies' five-man NBA starting unit has been a source of concern, reserve David Andersen (who played for three NBA teams from 2009-2011) provided just enough backup help with 13 points off the pine.

As Australia hustled and executed, the U.S. did itself no favors on either end.

Irving and DeMarcus Cousins contributed to a leaky defense that should prompt Coach K to consider lineup changes in the future.

Irving's shot-making was vital to Team USA's late-game surge, but his failure to navigate screens put the U.S. at a major disadvantage. Australia deliberately attacked him in pick-and-roll sets, and there's no question Mills' hot shooting stemmed at least partially from Irving's constant breakdowns.

Cousins was nearly as bad, snoozing his way through possessions and getting into early foul trouble yet again, per Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com:

Going forward, Team USA should consider reducing its use of conventional centers. Cousins can't defend in a connected scheme, and DeAndre Jordan's offensive limitations bog down an offense that rarely has a backup plan when his rolls to the basket fail.

It might seem strange to counsel downsizing after a game in which the Americans' work on the glass was one of the only reasons they survived. Team USA outrebounded Australia 47-40 and, critically, hauled in a ridiculous 21 offensive boards that helped offset a 39.1 percent shooting night.

But most of those boards came on tapouts and long-distance chasedowns by wings. With a lineup of Draymond Green, Carmelo Anthony, Durant, George and Jimmy Butler, the U.S. could nullify Australia's screen game by switching, forcing lumbering bigs off the floor and would lose little on the glass.

Phil Walter/Getty Images

If good opponents such as Australia are going to stagnate Team USA's offense and force defense to be the key, there's little reason for Coach K to persist with conventional bigs.

With defensive breakdowns and busted-up offensive possessions, the only thing working for the U.S. when it mattered was superior individual talent.

Anthony scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter, drilling threes against bigger Australian defenders who weren't comfortable chasing him out to the perimeter.

Irving, atoning for his defensive flubs, put on a bad-shot-making clinic. He even buried a near perfect copy of the Game 7 clincher he hit in the NBA Finals, sliding to his right with a live dribble for a contested triple.

Irving does daggers, and he does them well.

Between the two isolation monsters who put the offense on their backs, Team USA had enough to salvage a win.

MARK RALSTON/Getty Images

There was some question as to whether the U.S. was ever going to get a game like this in Rio. With Spain and France floundering, the theoretical top threats looked shaky. Heading into this contest, it was also difficult to know whether Australia's early success was a reflection of true quality or the result of weaker-than-expected competition.

Now, we're sure of a few things: Australia is the second-best team in this tournament, the U.S. will need to make some tweaks to avoid a future upset and, most importantly, we've got a heck of a rematch to look forward to in the medal round.

Follow Grant on Facebook and Twitter.