Boomers into final four

A near triple double from Adelaide 36ers captain Mitch McCarron has led Australia through to the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup semi-finals.

McCarron dished out nine assists, hauled down seven rebounds and scored seven points in the Boomers’ 99-85 quarter final win against Japan in Jakarta on Thursday night.

The Boomers were dominant early, building a 15-point lead in the first half before extending their margin to 21 points with a quarter to play.

But the Japanese fought back hard, led by star guard Keisei Tominaga, who had a game-high 33 points.

Tominaga, who has been called Japan’s Steph Curry, connected on eight-of-15 three-pointers, but the Aussies steadied to move on to the final four.

Thon Maker showed again why he’s one of the hottest free agents going around, finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Australia will play New Zealand in the semi-finals on Saturday after the Tall Blacks eliminated Korea 88-78 in their quarter final.