Devin Booker issues warning to Team USA after narrow win over Australia

Team USA looked poised to cruise to victory in the second half of Monday's exhibition against Australia, leading by 24 at one point. But things shifted quickly, with Australia cutting the lead to six with just over five minutes remaining and four with 3.4 seconds left.

The star-studded American roster held on for a 98-92 victory, but the near-collapse in the second half was mildly concerning. After the game, Devin Booker, who scored 16 points in the win, was candid when discussing the team's poor second-half performance.

Via The Athletic's Joe Vardon :

“We understand time is not on our side,” Booker said. “We have to clean things up quickly, and playing like we did in the second half today… we will not win a gold medal.”

While it was only an exhibition, any loss for Team USA at this point would draw national attention and no shortage of criticism. Monday's game against Australia nearly went off the rails late, but behind another double-double from Anthony Davis (17 points and 14 rebounds), Booker (16 points) and Anthony Edwards (14 points), the Americans picked up another tune-up victory.

Even though the result provided some minor concern for fans, it's easy to forget that head coach Steve Kerr is continuing to tinker with lineups and rotations, which has surely had some impact. But as Booker correctly stated, time is not on Team USA's side, so any uncertainties must be cleared up in the coming days.