Team USA may actually win their fourth consecutive Olympic gold in Tokyo next month.
But if Americans do, it will be a story of overcoming adversity.
They lost their second consecutive exhibition on Monday, this time in Las Vegas, besting Australia 91–83. Dating to the 2019 World Cup, where they finished seventh, Team USA have lost four of their last five matches. It has also now lost two in a row to Australia, a team expected to fight for gold in Japan.
It was a better performance than the loss to Nigeria on Saturday, but it's a bit mind-boggling to read those words given the pedigree of this roster and coaching staff. Their chemistry and execution, especially in late game situations, is holding the Americans back in the early stages of their title defense.
"I thought we got better tonight," Team USA coach Greg Popovich continued his stance of emphasizing process over results. "After being together for a while, there are a lot of things that have to be covered."
Damian Lillard, who had 22 points, and Kevin Durant, who had 17 points, certainly looked more like All-Stars in this game than Nigeria's defeat. They combined to shoot 10-of-20 at 3-pointers, the type of shooting this roster is designed to deliver.
The Americans had an 11-point lead in the first half and made effective physical defense at times, restricting Australia to just 13 points in the second quarter. After conceding 20 3-pointers in the exhibition opener, it was a clear attempt to challenge them better and Australia had just 10.
These are the signs Popovich was talking about. But the moral victory in defeat is a new sensation for Team USA. The loss to Nigeria was considered one of the great international basketball upsets on record. When it ended, the Australians greeted each other regularly and moved on.
“We went into this game hoping for a win,” said Joe Ingalls of the Utah Jazz, who had 17 points for Australia. “No disrespect to them, they are one hell of a team, obviously the guys who have them on their roster. And Pop is standing there, it's always good to see him, but we came here hoping to win the game and that's what we did."
For decades, whether it was a hard win or a rare defeat, Team USA cited an inherent disadvantage against national teams whose core players develop chemistry by their teens. Popovich did the same again after this defeat, as did Lillard, who is headed to his first Olympics.
"These teams are experienced and have spent a lot of time together," Lillard said. "We're still working on becoming a team."
The Australians have institutional wisdom because Patty Mills, who has played nine seasons for Popovich in San Antonio, has been a formidable lead guard for them over the years. And he was great again on Monday, scoring 22 points and topping six 3-pointers.
But the Australian team has seven new players and has changed coaches twice in the last two years. Their best player, Ben Simmons, was not selected to play. And they admit that they are still setting up their systems.
The lack of chemistry is a real thing, but it's not the only thing. This American team was built with versatility and shooting in mind, at the expense of size. The Australians knew it and crushed it.
Over and over again he was able to pass players down the middle, either from a big cut or in an advantageous matchup. He scored 44 points in the United States' 24 in the paint, making 22 of 35 shots there. It shot 53% overall.
Like the Nigerians, the Australians let the Americans down and gradually increased the lead in the second half. Popovich attributed this to his players for their stamina and poor performance.
"Some people have to get their feet and their rhythm back," Popovich said. "We're sticking with the process."
The Aussies were flying around on the defensive and challenging shots at the end of the game, and the tired legs of the Americans showed. Lillard and Durant missed crucial open looks and, in the final outcry, Jason Tatum tossed an air ball into a corner in a 3-point attempt, with the team down to five with a minute to play. However it was better than the next capture, which resulted in business.
There was a time when Team USA could lead with mediocre performances in spots like these. As it is becoming clear, those days are coming to an end. The number of teams posing a threat to the Americans has clearly risen, something this week has already gone home.
"It's different... now you go out there and there are five NBA players throughout the opening who are in rotation," Lillard said. "It's also not the first time I've seen Team USA test."