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THERE are major scores to settle when Slovenia takes on Australia tomorrow night in Manila to open the second group stage of the FIBA Men’s World Cup, the Boomers needing two wins to go through to the quarter-finals, having successfully qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Aussies consolidated their place at the Olympics with their 109-89 win over Japan, New Zealand's 74-83 loss to Greece ensuring the Boomers would be the World Cup’s higher-placed Oceania Zone finisher.

Now Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic stands in Australia’s way of advancing at the World Cup, the memory of the Boomers winning their historic first ever Olympic medal in Tokyo two years ago over his European qualifier still a raw one.

The danger for the Aussies is how closely Slovenia has studied their form. Forget the first quarter of the Boomers’ first game, when Finland on a high behaved as if it was playing Game 7 of an NBA championship series.

Once Australia settled into its groove, with veterans Patty Mills and Joe Ingles leading the way but Josh Giddey (14 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists), Dante Exum, Xavier Cooks, Josh Green, Jack White, Nick Kay and Duop Reath all providing memorable moments, this was well and truly over.

An 8-0 start by Germany rocked the Boomers on their heels, coach Brian Goorjian dropping two F-bombs in his early “snap to it” timeout. It worked too, Mills going off for 13 straight points in a 17-point half.

Germany’s star backcourt of Dennis Schroder (30 points at 53%, 5-of-9 threes, 8 assists) and Maodo Lo (20 points at 67%, 4-of-8 threes) though steadily carved up the Aussies’ much vaunted defence. Both guards but particularly Schroder, exploited Australia’s tactic of switching on everything, isolating and continually exploiting Kay on the pick-and-roll.

Kay is one of the Boomers’ most hard-working and reliable players, but no way could he contain Schroder on the drive or stepping back for a triple. And it was as regular as clockwork.

It was only Matisse Thybulle fighting over screens to prevent the defensive switch, that somewhat stymied Germany’s offence, and a 22-13 third by the Boomers in which Reath had eight points on two triples and a dunk, set up victory.

But another 10-0 German outburst to start the final quarter quickly erased Australia’s 66-62 lead and while Giddey tied the game at 81-81, he split two free throws for 82-83. Two uncharactteristic turnovers by Mills, including one for the win after a timeout were critical.

The Boomers pleaded for a foul call on Giddey's last-gasp heave with 0.2 of a second left. But such pleas were the real "Hail Mary". (It's Euro-centric FIBA. You're playing a European team. Foul or not, that won't be being reviewed. Other way around? Then, maybe.)

Host nation Japan, buoyed at coming from 18 down to defeat Finland, now loomed as a genuine threat to Australia’s chances of advancing out of the group.

But consecutive shot blocks by Reath in a 4-0 start showed Australia’s intent, Giddey again was superb and with it from tip-off. But this was arguably the best game Xavier Cooks has ever played.

Yes, the Sydney Kings “big” is a dual NBL champion, an MVP winner and an athlete who now has wet his feet in the NBA. But blocking a shot at one end, running the lane to the hoop to take a pass from Ingles for a super slam, meant he too was up for this one.

His 24-point (at 60%, 10 OR) and 16-rebound double-double was one for the ages and put simply, it’s hard to recall a better game from him, considering also this is the international level and just how much was at stake.

Green’s insertion in to the starting lineup also paid dividends, showing the Dallas Mavericks just how much his offensive talents are wasted in the NBA – and his defensive work was exemplary.

The lead was quickly north of double-digits in the second, Kay a factor and Exum again showing how invaluable he is for this team, the game appearing to be done and dusted at halftime, the Boomers ahead 57-35.

Two fouls on Reath and one on Green in the first 11 seconds of the second half made it look very much that FIBA wanted to give the sold-out 10,000-plus home crowd something to cheer about.

Australia though extended its lead to as many as 27 points before Japan came with a rush, Yuta Watanabe and Joshua Hawkinson problematic as Australia’s great defence went out the window.

Japan clawed back to within 13, its zone defence also restricting the Boomers before some better ball movement and timely drives turned this back into a comfortable win.

Goorjian shortened his rotation to nine – Jack White, Chris Goulding and Dyson Daniels only used very late - but possibly his only form worry is with Thybulle, who for the first time appeared a little lost and unsure what his role now is.

The fact Japan’s zone noticeably slowed the Aussie offence – and surely Goulding made this team as its 3-point shooting zone-buster, yet his services were not sought – would be among the notes Slovenia should have taken.

If Australia chooses to switch everything – which the Boomers can when playing small ball – Slovenia no doubt will isolate Australia’s bigs (as did Germany). And some zone also would cause hiccups.

That is unless those areas already have been addressed during the Boomers few days without a scheduled match. Beating Slovenia, then Georgia on Sunday are simply “musts”.

GROUP E RESULTS
GERMANY 101 d FINLAND 75
AUSTRALIA 109  (Giddey 26, Cooks 24, Green 15, Kay 13, Mills 11; Cooks 16. Giddey 5 rebs; Giddey, Mills 9 assts) d JAPAN 89 (Hawkinson 33, Watanabe 24, Togashi 14; Hawkinson, Watanabe 7 rebs; Kawamura, Togashi 7 assts) in Okinawa, Japan. Qtr-by-Qtr: 25-17, 32-18, 30-35, 22-19.
JAPAN 98 d FINLAND 88
GERMANY 85 (Schroder 30, Lo 20, Bonga, Theis 9; Voigtmann 6, Thiemann 5 rebs; Schroder 8, Voigtmann 4 assts) d AUSTRALIA 82 (Mills 21, Giddey 17, Exum, Cooks 9; Mills, Cooks 5 rebs; Mills 6 assts, 3 with 3) in Okinawa, Japan. Qtr-by-Qtr: 25-24, 19-25, 22-13, 16-23.
GERMANY 81 d JAPAN 63
AUSTRALIA 98 (Mills 25, Giddey 14, Ingles 13, Exum 10; Giddey 9, Mills 8 rebs; Giddey 8, Exum 4 assts) d FINLAND 72 (Markkanen 19, Salin 13, Jantunen, Madsen 8; Markkanen 8, Jantunen 5 rebs; Markkanen, Little 4 assts). in Okinawa, Japan. Qtr-by-Qtr: 17-21, 28-19, 25-14, 28-18.

SECOND ROUND STAGE
GROUP I: Serbia, Dominican Republic, Italy, Puerto Rico.
GROUP J: USA, Lithuania, Greece, Montenegro.
GROUP K: Germany, Australia, Slovenia, Georgia.
GROUP L: Canada, Spain, Brazil, Latvia.