After four hard quarters of play, Slovenia—led by Phoenix Suns star, Goran Dragic—proved themselves as a deep and balanced squad capable of making noise. Defeating an inexperienced Australia team, 90-80, Slovenia shot an efficient 62 percent from two-point land, and 42 percent from three. 

Suns star point guard Goran Dragic looked to be the leader of Slovenia prior to the tournament. That assumption was correct. Dragic led the way with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. 

For Australia, big man Aron Baynes led the way with 21 of his own before falling to a leg injury in the final minutes. Veterans David Andersen and Joe Ingles contributed nicely, but the Boomers struggled to find scoring in their second unit. Dante Exum was scoreless, shooting 0-2.

Slovenia lacks interior talent, but their defense was very solid against Australia and their offense was incredibly efficient. In Group D, both Slovenia and Australia have a long road ahead of them, but Slovenia has started off this tournament with a nice, confidence boosting victory and could make some noise in their respective group as the tournament moves forward.

Slovenia will take on Mexico tomorrow, August 31st, at 11:30 am Eastern Time.

Meanwhile, Australia plays tomorrow at 7:30 am Eastern Time versus Korea. 

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About the author
Mitchell Evans
Mitchell Evans is an editor who covers League of Legends, Counter Strike, and many others.