Team USA drops 2nd straight exhibition game in Olympic tuneup

The USA men’s nationalist hoops squad fell to 0-2 successful Las Vegas aft a 91-83 accumulation nonaccomplishment to the Australian nationalist squad Monday astatine Michelob Ultra Arena.

It’s the archetypal clip the nationalist squad has mislaid back-to-back accumulation games since 1992, erstwhile professionals began playing. The Americans were 54-2 successful accumulation games earlier coming to Las Vegas.

USA constituent defender Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers said the squad is “still moving astatine becoming a team.”

“These teams are experienced. They’ve spent a batch of clip together,” Lillard said. “We’re not conscionable going to travel retired here, rotation the shot retired and bushed these teams. We’ve got to play the close way.”

USA manager Gregg Popovich agreed with Lillard. Popovich said helium was pleased with the mode his squad came retired Monday compared to Saturday successful a nonaccomplishment to Nigeria. Team USA led Australia 46-37 astatine halftime.

“We were much physical, we sustained the defence better, we rebounded better,” Popovich said.

But that occurrence fell isolated successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile Australia outscored Team USA by 17 points.

“I thought we got amended tonight,” Popovich said. “After a abbreviated clip together, a batch of things person to beryllium covered. The archetypal fractional and 2nd fractional were 2 antithetic beasts. … We didn’t deed the boards the aforesaid way. Our defence wasn’t the same. Our gait wasn’t the same. Some guys person to get their legs and bushed back. In general, we request much conditioning.”

Lillard, who led Team USA with 22 points, said the crippled was a measurement successful the close direction.

“The much clip we walk connected the level together, the much we’ll fig each different out, and we’ll fig retired ways to get the shot moving,” helium said. “To commencement tonight, our gait was better. We pushed the ball. We kept it simple. We attacked. We were patient, making the other play, oregon the other pass. Sometimes excessively much. I deliberation that conscionable shows that we’re moving successful the close direction.”

Patty Mills, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, led Australia with 22 points. He scored 10 successful the 4th fourth erstwhile Australia outscored USA 21-19.

Kevin Durant scored 17 for Team USA, which volition play Argentina astatine 3 p.m. Tuesday astatine Michelob Ultra Arena. The squad has 3 much games successful Las Vegas earlier departing for Tokyo.

Contact Dylan Svoboda astatine dsvoboda@reviewjournal.com. Follow @dylanksvoboda connected Twitter.