Australia delivered a comprehensive victory over Syria in their World Cup encounter on Thursday, running out 123-64 winners at home. The result extended Australia's winning streak to five matches while highlighting the gulf between the two sides in the tournament. Syria's recent form has been difficult, with losses to Jordan, Iran and Japan in their previous outings.
Australia controlled the game from start to finish, shooting 45 from 85 on field goals and hitting 14 three-pointers from 37 attempts. They dominated the glass with 53 rebounds to Syria's 21, and their ball movement resulted in 27 assists compared to just 13 for the hosts. The visitors moved into a commanding position early and never looked back.
Syria struggled to find any rhythm, managing only 23 field goals from 60 attempts and committing 25 turnovers throughout the match. Their three-point shooting was marginal at eight from 25, and they could convert only seven of nine free throws. The turnover count alone tells you where the game was lost, and the hosts were left exposed time and again.
What struck you was the difference in physical presence. Australia won 18 steals to Syria's 12, and their defensive rebounding was a class apart at 28 to 13. The hosts gave away too many cheap fouls, picking up 20 personal fouls to Australia's 13, which allowed the visitors to get to the line with regularity.
The final margin of 59 points will not have sat well with anyone involved, but it reflects the reality of the result. Australia's recent record speaks for itself — victories over New Zealand, China, Iran and the Philippines in succession. They have one foot in the next round already.
