Aussie relief as Baynes available

BOOMERS coach Brian Goorjian is confident big man Aron Baynes will be fine despite suffering a knee injury in Australia’s impressive win over Team USA.

In a big boost for the Australians, Baynes isn’t expected to spend time on the sidelines after hurting his knee.

The Far North product limped off the court in the first quarter with a right knee injury after banging knees with USA guard Bradley Beal.

He went straight to the locker room before finishing the game on the sideline with ice on his knee.

Thankfully, coach Goorjian is positive that Baynes’ injury isn’t serious in good news for Australia’s Tokyo Olympic campaign.

“We are feeling good about it,” Goorjian said.

“It is just a temporary situation, so we’ll be good.

“I think he banged knees, so it was a bruise situation and it just hit knees and it’s real sore, so at this stage I didn’t want to risk it.

“But it isn’t a twist or a turn or ligaments or that kind of thing.”

It remains to be seen whether Baynes plays in Australia’s exhibition game against Nigeria on Wednesday from 11.30am.

He could be rested to make sure his knee is 100 per cent fit for the Tokyo Olympics.

Boomers star Joe Ingles said the Australians’ rise to beating the Americans, and anyone on the international basketball stage, had been a journey 12 years in the making.

“I think the world has realised the quality of Australian basketballers,” Ingles said.

“Obviously, Bogut was the No.1 draft pick, Dante (Exum) the fifth pick and Patty (Mills) and what he has done.

“We’ve built this thing and the confidence comes with that.

“In 2008 I think we had one NBA player on our roster in Andrew Bogut, there were a lot of guys playing in Europe and Australia.’’