The Boomers put on a clinic in Melbourne on Monday night, dominating Venezuela and sending a signal of intent ahead of the FIBA World Cup.
NBA: Matthew Dellavedova has been axed from the Boomers World Cup squad after it was trimmed to 13 players.
Then, perhaps symbolic of the vaunted cultural bedrock this team is built on, Patty welcomed next-gen star Josh Giddey who put on a clinic with a near-triple double — 14 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds — in front of his home crowd in a 97-41 victory against an overmatched Venezuelan outfit.
Tickets weren’t cheap — one attendee forked out $270 to take his two kids and seats down on the court were the best part of $800 — ensuring a smattering of empty seats throughout Rod Laver Arena, which had curtains drawn in the bleachers at either end.
But, for the 8789 in attendance, it was a celebration of basketball in the first…