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News.com.au
19 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Xavier Cooks stars as Boomers come back from 15-point deficit in Asia Cup thriller against China
King Cooks saved his best for last with the most dominant individual performance of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup as the Australian Boomers showed grit and guts to fight back from 15 points down to claim a third straight gold medal at the tournament. In what would become one of the most entertaining and closely fought contests in Asia Cup history, Australia and China traded big shot after big shot in a cutthroat fourth quarter that produced an incredible 19 lead changes, ending in a 90-89 nailbiter to the Boomers. Coach Adam Caporn said his Boomers were 'shellshocked' early before digging deep to comeback into the game. 'I'm just so proud of the character of our guys,' Caporn said. 'They obviously had a good start, and I thought we were a little off. We were a little shell shocked, defensively, a step off our coverages and credit to them, they put us on our heels. 'We were down 15, very tight, close game, and I felt the poise of our players, felt their toughness, felt their problem solving attitudes - and we had that from the start of camp. 'Once we got our momentum, it was neck and neck till the end. 'It's a credit to the players. That's not something we taught them.' Xavier Cooks, the 2022 NBL MVP and 2023 World Cup Boomer feasted on the Chinese, who could not handle the 203cm star's awkward combination of size, speed and guard-like skills as he poured in 30 points and tore down 9 rebounds. Watching the 29-year-old dive on the floor after every loose ball and fight for possession several times in the fourth quarter was an indicator of just how much the green and gold means to the former Washington Wizard — even if a late mistake gave China a chance to steal it at the buzzer. Up two with 3.9 seconds left, Cooks was fouled in a baseline scrap and sent to the free throw line. A review of the play showed he also made contact with the head of China's Rui Zhao and he was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul. He made one of two free throws, then Zhao made both of his, cutting the lead to one. China did get a look but Mingxuan Hu went from 26-point hero to zero as his three-point try was off the mark, cuing the Aussie celebrations. Cooks set the standard but the Boomers had heroes everywhere, chiefly in the form of the emergent Jaylin Galloway. Through a series of nasty dunks and a tournament-high six three pointers, Galloway produced 23 points and 5 rebounds against the Chinese. The 22-year-old, Cooks' teammate at the Kings, was the clear standout in an even Boomers' outfit, averaging 15.7 points and shooting a ridiculous 18-28 on threes — 64 per cent — on the way to being named tournament MVP and an All-Star Five nod. A shoulder injury cruelled his NBL25 campaign and he's endured a mental and physical battle to get back to his best. The athleticism had always been there but the uptick in Galloway's deep shooting was a pleasant surprise and a skill that could help him take the NBL by storm this season. To give you an idea of how even Australia's performance across the tournament was, Galloway's 15.7 points led the team — but was only good enough for 16th in the tournament — no Australian was among the top 15 rebounders and only Will Hickey (5.3, sixth) was in the top 25 in assists. As good as Cooks was at both ends, captain Will Magnay was an absolute monster in defence, producing perhaps the best four-point game of his international career. As the rest of the Aussies struggled to contain the potent Chinese — collectively bigger, stronger and more athletic than any other opponent the Boomers had faced at the tournament — Magnay was a Rock of Gibraltar in defence. The Boomers were +18 with the Olympian on the floor in 1-point win, his stocks sheet reading three steals and three blocks to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists — a game personified by unselfishness. Will Hickey promised to put a target on the Chinese and his length and athleticism was impossible to handle for their smaller guards on his way to 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The 26-year-old split them open time and time again throughout the game, coming up huge late. With one minute to go, Hickey caught a Jack McVeigh airball and laid it in to give the Boomers a one-point lead. On the next play, the Illawarra Hawks championship guard gathered a China miss, then found Magnay rolling to the cup. The Aussie captain was fouled and potted 1-2 to give the Boomers an 89-87 lead with 24.6 left as the late drama unfolded. Jack White had been the unsung hero of the Boomers' campaign but the Aussies will be singing his name from the 1000m Jeddah Tower after his block on a Meng Lei three-point attempt with seven seconds left preserved a two-point lead. Jack McVeigh was the fourth Boomer in double digits with 11 points in the final and he was as much responsible for Australia's golden run as anyone, averaging 13.5 points per game. China found supremacy in the form of 211cm tower Jinqiu Hu (20 points, 10 rebounds) and lightning quick guard Mingxuan Hu (26) in the heartbreaking defeat.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Australia edge China for FIBA Asia Cup 'three-peat'
Australia landed a third straight FIBA Asia Cup title when China's Hu Mingxuan missed a three-point buzzer beater at the end of Sunday's final, leaving the Boomers to lift the trophy with a 90-89 victory at Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City. Xavier Cooks, who was named game MVP, scored 30 points and tournament MVP Jaylin Galloway poured in 23 as Australia fought back from an early deficit to deny China a record-extending 17th triumph in the continental championship. READ MORE | Gilas Pilipinas at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup: Recap, results, and photos "The main thing is I am so proud of the character of our guys," said Boomers coach Adam Caporn. "We were down by 15, but we saw our players' toughness, their problem-solving attitude. We have great people in the programme, and in my opinion that's why we won." Hu was the standout for China with 26 points and captain Zhao Rui said coming so close to snatching the title proved the team were on the right track. "This loss actually motivates us," he said. "Some fans probably didn't expect a close game, but we delivered a wonderful game for the fans tonight. "This one-point loss will remind us to work harder and get better. Today is just the start, not the end." Australia joined FIBA's Asian zone from Oceania a decade ago and Sunday's victory kept them unbeaten in 18 Asia Cup matches going back to their debut in 2017. Earlier on Sunday, Iran beat New Zealand's Tall Blacks 79-73 to secure third place. —Reuters
Arab News
a day ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Australia beat China, 90-89, to complete ‘three-peat' bid in FIBA Asia Cup
JEDDAH: Australia took the FIBA Asia Cup basketball for the third time in a row after a dramatic 90-89 victory over China at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Sunday. The Boomers trailed all the way, with China leading by up to 15 points early in the game. Xavier Cooks pumped in 30 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, Jaylin Galloway contributed 23 points and 5 rebounds, and William Hickey added 15 points as the Boomers steadily narrowed down China's lead. With just 1:09 remaining in the last quarter, Hickey scored the basket that turned the tide. China had a chance to win but Hu Mingxuan's buzzer-beater attempt bounced off the rim. Hu led his team with 26 points. With the victory, Australia became the second team in Asia Cup history to achieve a 'three-peat'. The Boomers also extended their unbeaten run to 18 games since they joined the tournament in 2017. China was the first to win the title three times in a row in 2003 as it captured its 13th tournament title. All in all, China has won 16 Asia Cup championships. Aside from Hu Mingxuan, three of China's players scored double figures, with Hu Jinqiu pouring in 20 points and 10 grabbing rebounds, Cheng Shuaipeng making 12 and Zhao Rui adding 10 points. China's second place performance was, nonetheless, a remarkable comeback after a decade without a medal since it last won the Asia Cup title in 2015. Speaking to the press after the game, Australia head coach Adam Caporn said: 'The main thing is I am so proud of the character of our guys. We were down by 15, but we saw our players' toughness, their problem-solving attitude,' 'We have great people in the program, and in my opinion that's why we won,' he added In the battle for third place in Jeddah, Iran defeated New Zealand, 79-73. Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned the Australian national team with the 31st edition of the 2025 Asian Basketball Cup, in the presence of Sheikh Saud Al Thani, president of the International Basketball Federation; K Govindaraj, FIBA Asia president; and Ghassan Tashkand, president of the Saudi Basketball Federation.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Filipino, Monday 18 August 2025
Artificial Intelligence or AI will be the centre of discussions at the productivity roundtable, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Philippines bagged the Island Charm Award at the Beijing Dive Expo Australia clinches third consecutive championship title at the FIBA Asia Cup LISTEN TO SBS Filipino 06:14 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aussie Boomers come from 15 points down to win third straight FIBA Asia Cup
A dominant Asia Cup came with a barnstorming finish for the Australian Boomers who came from 15 points down in the final to defeat China by one to complete a three-peat of titles and a first for new coach Adam Caporn. Xavier Cooks poured in 30 points to secure the heart-stopping win in Jeddah 90-89. Unchallenged for most of the tournament, and playing without a host of NBA stars, the Boomers survived a last-ditch China effort with a missed final shot as time expired. You will want to watch this...ðŸ'° Absolute scenes from Jeddah in the Boomers 90 - 89 thriller over China in the FIBA Asia Cup Final ðŸ'Š #WeAreBasketball | #GoBoomers | #AsiaCup | @FIBAAsiaCup — Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) August 17, 2025 Cooks, who also collected nine rebounds, was named played of the match. while Jaylin Galloway, playing in his first Asia Cup final, drilled six three-pointers on his way to 23 points and five rebounds. He was later named the tournament's MVP and was nominated in the All Star 5 along with fellow Boomer Jack McVeigh. William Hickey delivered when it mattered most, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, including clutch plays down the stretch. The victory came after China raced to a 25-17 early lead, which was 36-21 in the second quarter, before Cooks powered the Australian fightback. The deficit was just four points at halftime before the rollercoaster of lead changes in the tight affair. But even at the final change the Australians were down by three points. It wasn't until the final minutes that the Boomers took the lead and never surrendered it. The Boomers now boast an 18-0 record since the tournament's inception in 2007, cementing themselves as the modern powerhouse of Asian basketball.
