Hoops

FIBA launch action against Boomers over Angola game

"Scenario 2 (Australia loses, Slovenia wins)
1. Slovenia 10 pts
2. Lithuania 9 pts
3. Australia 8 pts"

This is wrong. Slovenia would have been 5-0 and clear on top. Lithuania and Australia would have been 3-2. Australia beat Lithuania, and therefore finish second. As you said: "if two or more teams end up with the same amount of wins, only games between those teams are relevant".

It's completely "un-Australian" to screw with the rules to try and improve your chances!!!

We don't do things like that, especially in our national religion, SPORTS!

That'd be like that country that bowled underarm in cricket to win a game, or that country that used a winged keel to win one of the oldest trophies in the world.

should've tanked the oceania champs

but no flex zone

Well, it did create one hell of a highlight video for that young bloke (can't recall his name) for Angola, who was having a dunkfest at our expense...

Man, we made him look sooooo goooood!

People saying things like its a disgrace and an embarrassment to our country! What a joke! What we did is so minor to the real problems with FIBA and the whole system. This sort of thing happens EVERY day in EVERY sport and you believe otherwise then you need to wipe the shit out of your eyes and wake up. To say that people are trying to deflect from the situation by bringing up what past teams have done or the structure is nonsensical. Of course these issues are going to be brought up when everyone is pointing the finger like Australia is the 1st team to try to manipulate the system for their own benefit. How is it possible for an NBA player to represent a country that they have no connection to at all and nothing is said or done but resting players and playing ordinary defence is cheating. FIBA needs to investigate FIBA as they are looking more and more like FIFA everyday.

I also think resting players is ok, but the obvious intentions of those on court is the issue.

The fact none of the players on court have probably ever tried to do this before is why it was so obvious and they stuffed it up so much.

I suspect they wanted to play the first half at full throtlle as preparation for the next round, but in hind sight, they shouldnt have built up such a big lead as the diffeence between 1st and 2nd half performance was too obvious.

They should have all got in foul trouble which would provide a half legitimate reason for not being able to defend hard at the end.

Again, I agree with Naph on his take.

I hope you're right Mick, but I expect that they would rather fry a minnow (and we are in terms of position in world basketball terms) than look in the mirror.

Bear, totally with you on where you are coming from. It was not a great look by Australia and in turn not a great look on FIBA.

Having said that, I would love to know what rules/codes Australia broke for FIBA to take such inflammatory action? There is nothing in their statement that clearly outlines what Australia breached?

In future, at what point does FIBA need to step in and investigate game results when their own system that they put in place advocates such behaviour morally right or not?

@LC while those facts are not disputed I can't help but worry because basketball officials have a different eye on the game than others in sports less likely to come down hard on things they see as bringing the game into disrepute.

Reading what we have so far, before the BA reply, our problems are not based on facts alone:

'The on-court behaviour displayed by Australia in that game generated huge disappointment by basketball fans and experts. It is widely suspected that Australia lost that game in order to avoid having to face the reigning world champions USA until the Semi-Finals.'

So they are keying in on the following:

1. On-court behaviour. We will have to answer this on how we acted and what the cameras picked up on, there is no where to hide these days.

2. Huge disappointment. Impacts on the public and so-called experts (media hype if you will) relates to percpetion and the reputation of the sport.

3. Widely suspected we lost on purpose, well even your facts support this as a highly probable scenario, how can we seriously deny it.

Just presenting what I see as their potential claims against us, playing devil's advocate...

I don't see it as fixing the game, rather throwing it but who knows how FIBA will percieve it?

Agreed, LC wins.

I'm interested to find out exactly how FIBA intend to prove that Australia violated the code of ethics, or if proof is even a requirement for sanction and condemnation (I suspect it won't be). Bring on the thought police!

LC wins.

Let's stick with the facts and not get moral on all this as nobody, myself included, really likes to see their country lose.

Had Australia already qualified for the R16: Yes
Could Australia finish 1st in Group: No
If Australia won vs Angola, was it more likely to finish 2nd than 3rd: Yes
By losing, was Australia guaranteed to finish 3rd: No
For whoever finished 1st and 3rd, would they avoid USA until SF's: Yes
Was it viewed by all teams as being more favourable to finish 1st or 3rd in Group: Yes
Was Australia's final placing dictated by another game: Yes
Did Australia lose a game vs Angola: Yes
Did Australia rest its best players: Yes
Did Australia deliberately set out to lose the game: Don't know
Did Lithuania beat Slovenia: Yes
Was the Lithuania vs Slovenia game played after Australia vs Angola: Yes
Did Australia finish 3rd: Yes

In summary, the only unknown is whether Australia was in fact under instruction to deliberately lose the game.

The competition format meant that Australia better positioned themselves to avoid the USA until as late in the tournament as possible. their final position still required Lithuania to defeat Slovenia which they ultimately did.

Is anyone investigating how Slovenia only scored 2 final quarter points vs Lithuania in their final game to lose? That's how silly this whole thing is.

Lemanis did not opt to use a timeout, even though his team blew a double-digit lead and made zero stops while conceding 18 Angola points on just eight possessions. By comparison, Angola had managed only 12 points in the entire second quarter.

The big ? Was why no time outs to stop the scoring runs? I think the biggest was 18pts..

Dont blame the player, blame the Game!!

Unfortunately, the Boomers were tanking against a pretty horrible Angola team, which made it a lot harder to disguise.

The problem was that the Boomers went up by something like 15 in the 2nd.

They then had to allow Angola back into the game with that massive 3rd/4th quarter run.

I don't have a problem with resting players and losing as a result of not having your best players on the floor . However I think there is a problem if The coaching staff gave specific instructions to not play defense or told players to lose the game after being 15 points up.

heard it on radio news, last nite..will get a lotta media..

jawai, who at 142kgs, was gone,was gassed, left on...

Well maybe they should let Australia and Angola play off again, see what happens then lol shut them all up one way or another.

So basically Australia isn't as experienced as other (European) teams in losing intentionally... so we should be punished for showing what they do for what it is?

I disagree with you Ho, the structure is not a distraction, it is the root cause of the problem. The format rewards gamesmanship. Which sucks, because everyone should be rewarded for winning. FIBA have a problem, but would rather have a scapegoat.

FIBA are a joke.

I have no problem with them investigating the Boomers and what they appeared to do. However to come our and use the language that they have is blatantly accusatory - what ever happened to being innocent until PROVEN guilty?

Euro teams have been taking for years at various degrees. My advice;

Fix the system. You can't discipline a team that played to the system. Fix the system and fix the problem.

Maybe FIBA are asking for a please explain so they can see how they can improve the tournament in the future?

I thought it wasn't a good look then and I still think it isn't a good look now, but FIBA if they make a bigger deal of this than it has already been will turn a farce into a circus.

Does basketball need this type of hype? Especially down here...

At the time I thought we made a mistake by taking this road, now we have to ride the bumps, shame really as the players on this team deserved better than this.

What we lacked is leadership and confidence, now our courage is also being questioned, how sad!

Resting is fine....I think it was the solo drive uncontested lay ups past 2 Aussies that might of given it away.

It was a bit obvious though as he sat most of his normal starters off for a big part of that game including the end and let exum run point for most of it, he didn't even look like making a sub. So you can see why people would be thinking this even if it's not true.

We should be disciplined for poor acting.

Hope we get punished, it was a weak act.

I mean it makes sense that such an unAustralian outrage is handled in such a fashion.

As a country we should be suspended from FIBA and forced to surrender all our basketballs and any spherical object that could be used as a basketball.

honestly, i wouldnt be surprised if Putin invaded tomorrow - it would serve us right....

Sweet baby Jesus protect us from the hyperbolic outrage of internet heavy breathers....

This is ridiculous. If they are going to discipline AUS for this then they will have to do the same to every team which has tanked in the past.