Casey Frank to be a tool yet again and Newley and Ingles to light up the scoreboard a bit more than in game 1.

Boomers by 8

Does anyone know how much download space streaming it chews up? How many gigs

Casey Frank to be left out of the squad due to his refusal to shave, despite the threat of a lawsuit from Bill Walton for Copyright Infringement of his image.

Oh, and Boomers by 12.

Stu, I'd say you're looking at about 500MB, depending on the bit rate.

sweet, cheers for that mate!

Boomers by 15. Every kiwi in the world apart from the tall black players on the court and coaching staff will be watching the world cup game against Tonga. Bench players watching the game on their iphones... :)

Barlow to (hopefully) play a more prominent role and the Boomers to close it out by 9.

And Casey Frank will lose his cool again after everyone refuses to give him any spare change

NZ teams are at their best with their backs to the wall and this team will be no different.
Mark Dickel and Casey Frank need to pull their heads in and get on with playing the game.

If Penney and Vukona get some help (Abercrombie) NZ has a shot, if they don't get any help I'll say Boomers by 11

Hoping for more actual highlights than shoving in this one.

Penney to top score.
Vukona a double double.
Big game from Newley.
Boomers shooting % to be up from game 1.

Dalgliesh and Borner to rip the hearts out of the Kiwis, Smyth and young Gaze to top score...hang on I think I'm watching replays.

Heading to the game tonight with a few lads. Been basketball starved here in Brissy

Boomers to win by 5.
Penney to rack up 28.
Boomers to have 5 players score in double digits.
Abercrombie to be held below 10 points.

I think you'll prob be right on the Abercrombie call LC, Boomers pressure defense was great
hope he can notch at least 12-15 but won't hold my breath

Frank is not a tool.
Obviously, I am a NZ Supporter, but does that mean I see Worthington as a tool? No.

To be honest, Worthington annoys other players and Frank wasn't over the moon about it. What do you expect Frank to do..He is going to stand up and not back down.

People are making it seem like Frank punched someone.
Its all little mind games..Worthington is annoying, but he isn't a tool and the push and shove with Frank was smart on Wortho's behalf, because it frustrated the TB's and took them out of their focus.

A guy isn't a tool just because he is physical..This is the OCEANIA series..A little push and shove between Aus and NZ is normal.
Did you think they were going out there to do ballet?

The altercations all night long were merely part of the rivalry, and no one was/is a tool

That was me !!

does anybody know what time tip off is???

found it! 7:00 CST, GO BOOMERS!!!!!

Not happy with the times OneHD is selecting to show the game. I understand that for whatever reason they may not be able to show it live, but the repeat on Saturday is at 6am which makes it extremely difficult for anyone who enjoys a Friday night but doesn't have access to an HD recorder to catch the game. Surely if the first screening is at an uncivilised timeslot (almost midnight) then the replay could be at say 9am and not an equally uncivilised 6am.

Agree billo - very disappointing from One HD - but better than nothing...

Live Stats

Starters:

AUS: Maric, Neilsen, Ingles, Newley & Mills
NZ: Pledger, Abercrombie, Vukona, Penney & Tait

Newley gets scpring under way by nailing a triple, set up by Mills...

Abercrombie and Vukona with 2 early fouls each...not looking good for NZ so far...

Mills with 2 assists and has yet to take a shot

Refs calling plenty of fouls early tonight

Aussies 5/8 from the field and up 12-6

Nope...not I

ENJOY KIDDIES

http://www.firstrowsports.com/watch/82652/1/watch-new-zealand-vs-australia.html

http://www.firstrowsports.com/watch/82652/1/watch-new-zealand-vs-australia.html

Its working well for me!

Boomers picking their shots well and shooting percentage is up accordingly. Their defense has been good so far also, Penney and Vukona have been limited. Good game to watch so far

Boomers up 36-34 at the half.

AUS: Mills 7, Newley, Delly, Ogilvy & Nielsen 5
NZ: Penney 11, Frank 8, Dickel 5

Ogilvy had 5 points in just 4 minutes...

Skipping rope??? I though he was just some crazy dancer!!

Brett Brown running the full bench. Hoping to see more of Baynes - he's too big for the NZ bigs. Suspect a more settled rotation this half from Brown. NZ in the game because of Casey Frank hitting threes and the Boomers fouling trying to get around screens.

Soft foul called by refs on Vukona. Australia looking a bit sloppy to start 3rd.

Agreed. Boomers passing up good shots for the difficult option

40-all - aussies cannot score and keep turning it over

Mills deserved that tech on the flop
They really need to introduce that into the NBL soo many flops last year its so frustrating.
Penny was one of the best actors last year (well the most i saw on tv)

Yeah can't complain about that call as much as I like Patty he got caught out. Very tight game so far.

71-59 Boomers with 4 to go

81-64 Boomers win

Kiwis just stopped in the 4th

Maric too big and strong, newley too good in the end.

Good win Boomers.
Once again they showed that at the International Level you have to play the whole 4 QUARTERS.

Not that NZ lacked heart..Just offensively, we didn't have the depth/luxury of bringing in offensive weapons off the bench.

Not too happy with consistency of reffing.
At one stage, they would allow a lot of contact, while at others they were extremely strict (Especially on Vukona).
The amount of times they called fouls on players making cuts was ridiculous. They should just let a lot of that stuff go.

Good call on Mills flopping..He has done that alot this series.

Really like Wortho's series so far. I had him out of the team...pleased to admit I was wrong, he's a lock.

Patty Mills shooting percentage is a disgrace. He and Delly need to be told to run the team and stop forcing shots....we have depth inside, decent shooting options but the PG spot worries me big time. I know they are young but they're out of control. Someone call CJ.......

Patty Mills needs to be told that.

Delly doing fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hadn't seen much (any?) of Maric before this series, really impressed by his game. He's a massive unit with great touch around the basket, a no nonsense big who keeps it simple and plays to his strengths (which is his strength). Love it, bring in London!

Vukona was held to those figures by Brett Brown making the correct adjustments and Australia having the luxury of having guys like Barlow coming off the bench to continue the excellent pressure defense. Penney was also shut down by excellent D.
For the most part I thought Mills had a much better game and Worthington and Newley were great. Maric had a solid game inside and has a nice touch in close.
Pledger played well especially defensively but NZ couldn't keep it up for 4 quarters.
I hope Abercrombie watches Newley's highlights from that game.

Well done Boomers.

Anon re: your crush on Vukona

Australia's top scorer was Newley with 12 ;)

One thing that still gets to me is that Brown rotated too many players through, and this stifled the continuity on court.

Australia did rotate often but it only affected them on offense, defense was pretty good all game especially on Vukona and Penney.
Ogilvy and Maric were a great inside presence.

Vukona's 4th foul where he contested a rebound was an absolute joke.

Anyone who watched these two matches and still believes that referees always just "call it as they see it" has more faith than I.

The first match was as physical a game as any I recall seeing and mainly very obvious and heavy fouls were called. Last night, players seemed to get called for looking in an opponent's general direction. The idea that the referees did not confer and decide to call this game much more tightly, beggars belief.

It was frustrating as a spectator to watch, but clearly incredibly difficult for the players on both sides. But the most unfortunate aspect for mine was the fact that due to New Zealand's comparative lack of depth, they were severely disadvantaged when the fouls started racking up.

I believe that the outcome of this match was largely shaped by the referees and that to me, even as a Boomers supporter, was very disappointing.

I agree aussieboomers4eva, both Abercrombie and Vukona were limited by foul trouble and Ingles got called for some soft crap

Mystro, They were calling those fouls all night against both teams, as the commentators said he needs to know when to turn back is aggression,

yeah but that last one he was only competing and there was next to no contact, and as I said Ingles got called for some soft crap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fodDbX2PMwk&feature=related

That's Steve Adams..don't need to say anymore.

the refs did let some stuff go and then called other stuff tight. Abercrombies fouls were fouls and he didn't look settled at all in the series

Agreed Anon re players needing to adjust and Vukona's inability to do just that. He regularly fouls out in the NBL but gets away with it because the Breakers are actually deeper than the Tall Blacks.

But the referees were the same and the teams were the same and there were only two days between games and yet there was a vast gulf between the ways each game was played. That has got to be difficult for even very experienced players, and both squads are quite young.

I just feel that the Boomers were better able to cope as their greater depth allowed them to spread the fouls around through heavy player rotation and that it was unfair to the Tall Blacks chances. I think we would all prefer that the outcome of matches are decided by the players themselves and that was limited to a degree last night.

Well, okay but at least one was. Probably just assumed the others were. I don't think it changes my argument that much.

Got to wonder what a Shaun Marks and an enthusiastic Craig Bradshaw would do for the Tall Blacks. When Casy Frank and BJ Anthony are running major minutes you are never going to beat a team with quality bigs.

On the positive side, I thought Pledger was great when he was on. Should have run him early and had a look at what he could do. Was a presence in D, and finished well when he got it around to hoop. Probably had 4 blocks in under 20 minutes of play, changed a few shots as well.

Pledger can't shoot.

Refs trying to ensure no more scuffles. They would have recognised they missed some cheap off the ball stuff in the first one.. that lead to frustration and the scuffles in the last game.

As long as they are consistent.. and don't kill the game too much.

Still not a huge fan of the rotations of Brett Brown - in a 40 min game, i dont believe you need to play 11 players. Find your best 8 or 9 and let them play.

Once again we saw Ogilvy start for Maric in the 2nd half, I even saw Maric take off his sweats to get into the game at the start of the 3rd but then AJ went on? I dont get it.

If you notice about 90secs into the game Brown switches Ingles off Penney and puts Newley on him... you could see Joey say 'what, why?'. What did brown see after 90 secs to change his mind?

Joey ended up playing 4mins of the 1st half!?!

Good win to the Boomers though. Neilsen played well, Newley was easily our best, Mills went OK but surely the big winner out of this series is Dellavadova! He can flat out play at both ends of the floor!

Would have Marks made any difference?

FIBA: Boomers prevail, eyes on London

Australia have outlasted New Zealand 81-64 in a gripping FIBA Oceania Championship clash to secure their place at the London Olympics with a 2-0 series lead

The fourth quarter performance was great,a little show of our abilities.Cant wait to hear the anthem at the Olympics-go green & gold!

As a bit of an aside, I'm certainly pleased that the Oceania Championship was not decided on the performance of the National Anthems as the Kiwis absolutely trounced us in that regard, in both Melbourne and Brisbane.

In particular, the woman that sang in Brisbane was atrocious. I think she was thrown by the rich baritone voice of the gentleman that sang so well before her, and lost her own key and started too low in her own register.

I hope we peg one back in Sydney.

I would just like Coach Brown to stick with a smaller rotation...

Unfortunately, LC, I suspect we will both be left wanting.

I agree...even more so given this next game is a dead rubber...

Youre right about the refs, they were very poor both ways. I am glad it wasnt a close result because their over-blowing after game one would have had a major impact.

The neutral ref really seems to struggle with the way the game is played here, he blew some shockers and Abercrombie's fifth was terrible.

Any chance that someone has this on dvd? Missed it damn it.

Some media clippings:

BA: Boomers seal London berth with series win over NZ

Herald-Sun: Australian men's and women's basketball teams earn Olympic tickets

The Age: Qualifying boosts Boomers' confidence

The Age: Boomers, Opals qualify for Olympics

ABC News: Boomers follow Opals to London

Saint Mary's College: Australia Boomers Qualify For 2012 Olympic Games

Anyone got a link for game three? cheers

Check game 3 thread...and ask there