Australia batter Finland 98-72 to start 2023 FIBA World Cup with a win

Australia defeated Finland 98-72 to start their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign with a win in Okinawa City.

Australia basketball got off to a strong start at the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a 98-72 win over Finland on Friday. Patty Mills led the way with 25 points in just 29 minutes for the Boomers.

Australia’s next game is against Germany on Sunday at 6:30 PM (AEST). 

Boomers beat Finland easily in Japan

The Boomers starting lineup at tip off in Okinawa City on Friday night featured five players from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Finland’s Lauri Markkanen is the only NBA player in Finland’s entire squad. 

Despite the obvious talent gap and Australia’s immediate dominance, Finland did not lose their grip on the game until the second quarter. Finland were actually up by four points at the end of the fourth quarter. They would go on to lose each of the next three quarters by nine points or more.

Part of the reason why Finland lost control of the game is Patty Mills. The veteran Atlanta Hawks guard scored 25 points and also contributed to his team’s overall performance with 8 rebounds as well. Josh Giddey also had a strong performance and nearly earned himself a triple double. Giddey scored 14 points and racked up 8 assists and 9 rebounds in his 25 minutes of action. 

Markkanen, for his efforts, tried to keep pace with the Boomers and put up 19 points and 8 rebounds as well. Unfortunately for him, his efforts were in vain. Sasu Salin was the only other Finnish player to score more than 10 points. The 32-year-old point guard ended the game with 13 points on just 40% shooting from the field. 

Finland’s next match is against Japan. It will tip off shortly after the conclusion of Germany vs. Australia in Okinawa City at the Okinawa Arena.

Germany next for the Boomers

With Finland out of the way, Brian Goorjian and his men are surely focused on next Sunday’s game against Germany. 

The Germans are the next highest ranked team in Australia’s group, Group E, behind Australia. According to FIBA’s national team rankings, Germany are the 11th best team in the world. Australia is ranked third in the world, only behind Spain and the USA. 

Germany also started their World Cup campaign with a victory by beating Japan 81-63 in Okinawa City at the Okinawa Arena. The Orlando Magic’s Moritz Wagner led the way with 25 points in that game. His brother and fellow Magic player Franz Wagner also had a strong game. The Wagner brothers and wiley veteran Dennis Schroder will be the biggest players for Germany against Australia. 

Most betting sites have Australia as favourites heading into Sunday’s game. PlayUp Sportsbook is currently offering 1.72 odds for bets on an Australia win. The sports betting site gives Germany 2.12 odds to upset the Boomers. 

Australia among tournament contenders

Australia came into the 2023 FIBA World Cup as one of the main favourites to win this competition. They backed up those expectations with their dominant performance against Finland and remain as one of the main tournament contenders. 

According to PlayUp, the Boomers are third favourites to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Only the USA at 1.72 odds and Canada at 7.00 have better odds to win it all than Australia, who PlayUp give 8.50 odds to win the tournament. 

Australia got a win against Finland and looked good doing it. The USA and Canada will be tough to beat, but Australia might just be able to do it. 

If you’re interested in 2023 FIBA World Cup betting or just want to follow the tournament, Bettingtop10 will provide coverage and picks all tournament long.