Bogut leads Australia to 86-66 victory over France in opener
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Australia’s Australia’s Andrew Bogut (6) dunks the ball over France’s Rudy Gobert, left, and Boris Diaw, right, during a basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
RIO DE JANEIRO >> Andrew Bogut scored 18 as Australia upset France 87-66 in the opening men’s basketball game Saturday at the Rio Games.
France was considered by many as the second-best men’s team in the tournament behind the United States, but the NBA talent-filled squad underwhelmed on the heels of a disappointing 2012 Olympics.
Bogut shot 9 for 10 from the field and Patty Mills had 21 points. Bogut’s presence was a bit of a surprise after he suffered a hyperextended knee in the NBA Finals.
Tony Parker, one of 10 NBA players on the court — five on each team — scored a team-high 18 for France — 16 in the second quarter.
Australia dominated early and led by 15 , but France closed the half on a 14-2 run to trail 36-33. The Aussies put the game away with a 14-2 run to take a 67-48 lead in the fourth quarter.
