The Australian Boomers have retained their FIBA Asia Cup title after a nail-biting two-point victory over a feisty Lebanon side on Sunday night in Jakarta, 75-73. The Boomers were out to a fast start, opening the decider with a quick 22-10 first term. However, Lebanon fought it out, closing the gap throughout the rest of the game and pushing Australia right to the final seconds. Consistent throughout the whole series, the final may have not been Thon Maker’s biggest game on the scoreboard but his impact on the game in clutch moments earned him the Final MVP. 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks saw him cap off an impressive two weeks representing the green and gold. https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1551197219822661633?s=20&t=Kpkr847FcX8jsfol9e187g Leading from the front, Mitch McCarron played a true captain’s game, and once again Will McDowell White’s slick hands were crucial. 11 assists between the two became a point of difference to a game determined by a couple of points. Inaccuracy hurt the Boomers in the final quarter, as Lebanon piled on 30 points to make a late push for upset but clutch three-point shots from Wani Lodu Swaka Lo Buluk and Tyrese Proctor allowed for a breather. Proctor’s free throw accuracy in the dying minutes also managed to settle the pace and seal the win. https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1551226240173875200?s=20&t=Kpkr847FcX8jsfol9e187g “We felt really good about how we were playing and the next thing you know it was a dog fight. It was a tough game, and both teams had to fight it out till the end,” Boomers’ coach Mike Kelly said post-game. “It comes down to making shots and making free throws and they did that better than us. We built up enough interest over the first three quarters to cash out in the fourth and we hung tough with that and outlast their momentum. “The competition was amazing and as far as the fight that we saw from the teams here including our own was top level.” On the back of a successful World Cup Qualifying campaign in Melbourne, Thon Maker was impressed with how the team backed up their form in Jakarta. “It was a true test, we stuck together from the beginning. The whole two weeks we’ve been here it’s been about sticking to our identity” “A great job done by everybody, everybody bought into it what we’re doing as a unit, we stuck to it and got it done together.” After top performances across the whole series, McCarron and Maker were both named in the All Star 5 team, to cap off a thrilling night for Australia. https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1551311259252846593?s=20&t=Kpkr847FcX8jsfol9e187g
