Furious redemption was always coming.
The heaving press of Team USA fans perhaps felt it, creating a cauldron at Quodos Bank Arena. Oohs and ahs followed as Jaylen Brown jammed and crammed during pregame warm-ups, in a sign of things to come.
Amidst the tumult of emotions, cognitive dissonance took hold: We know we're a neutral audience, but we really want Team USA to win.
Each USA player was greeted with raucous applause; Kemba Walker received the loudest of cheers for the players, as though the throng of fans knew and appreciated his craft the most. But it was coach Gregg Popovich who received the loudest ovation of all, from the 15,155-strong crowd.
Popovich shuffled his starting unit again, this time starting Jayson Tatum with Harrison Barnes, in a signal that he's still figuring out his optimal lineup combinations.
At one point, the crowd roared in approval as Myles Turner batted a Kevin Pangos layup attempt away like a fly. There were consoling ahs as Tatum fell over, losing the ball along the attacking baseline. There was delirious affirmation as Harrison Barnes finished a twisting layup past Khem Birch, earning the foul call as well. There was an odd collective affinity for Brook Lopez that remains a mystery to all (earning a "What the hell was all that about?" from Popovich in his postgame news conference).
And what followed was a masterclass in paint scoring from Team USA. After being pummelled and mauled by the Boomers on Saturday, the Americans made it a priority to batter Canada inside. Brown and Tatum made pointed efforts to bully their way into the paint. Donovan Mitchell likewise, including a spectacular finish off an alley-oop pass from Khris Middleton to close the first half. The Canadians did not help themselves, often yielding switches instead of fighting over picks.
At the half, Team USA had taken only eight 3-point attempts.
At times, Canada could only watch, supine in resignation, the onslaught at the rim.
"You don't play perfectly every night," Canada coach Nick Nurse said. "We were s---ty tonight."
Team USA bludgeoned its opponents inside, finishing with a staggering 60 points in the paint. That's 60 of its total 84 points. It also predictably won the transition game 17-4.
"It's the way we have to play," Popovich said of his team playing with pace. "We've got to have a good pace. If we walk it up, we're not taking advantage of our athleticism."
For Canada, this trip has exposed the team to the feverish responses. After humbling the Boomers in Perth in their first meeting, they faced the expected raging counterthrust the following night. This time, they faced the dreaded bounce-back game against a seething Team USA.
"They'll be fine," Nurse said. "We just flush this one away and get back to what we're doing."
In some respects, that has hardened a group of players who came in with no expectations from external forces. This performance should not define their trip. They also missed shots they usually make. At one point, Canada's field goal percentage had plummeted to 27 percent. Again, Canada just missed open looks.
Nurse recounted the start of the game, when Canada made stops, but couldn't finish the possessions with the rebound.
"And then we go down and miss about three straight layups right at the front of the rim," he said. "We execute well and just don't make any of them."
"I think we were a little fortunate," Popovich said. "We were working hard [defensively], but they missed some easy shots. That's a hell of a team."
Birch missed little floaters off dump-offs that he usually makes. Owen Klassen, plagued by foul trouble, missed an open layup at the rim, then fluffed another after he brushed past Brown inside.
Without a bulky presence to contend with -- Klassen's minutes did not sync with his -- Turner was a beast inside, worrying Birch on his flips, and cleaning the glass. He had nine boards by halftime, and finished with 15.
"He's been really consistent for us," Popovich said. "Defensively, rebounding-wise. He understands his role really well."
Something to monitor going forward is the rebounding battleground, where Team Canada generally has a disadvantage on a nightly basis, particularly at the 4-spot, where a bevy of wings are masquerading as power forwards. It's not just size on that battlefront, it's also schematics, the lack of repetitions and communication breakdowns. Jock Landale and Nick Kay were able to either sneak in unencumbered for offensive rebounds, or bully their way into the paint, during Team USA's loss to the Boomers. Barnes and Middleton, theoretically suited to their switching scheme, botched the delicate dance numerous times, allowing for easy slips to the basket, or ceding positioning amidst the jostling of bodies.
Canada did not have the personnel to replicate the Aussies' strategy; Oshae Brissett (he did not play), Kyle Wiltjer and Thomas Scrubb are perimeter-oriented players who don't have the switch to flip to beefy enforcers when needed.
Aside from Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Middleton, the rest of Team USA's perimeter cast lacks dialled-in perimeter defenders. Brown's attention wavers, particularly off the ball. Tatum's too ebbs and flows. Joe Harris is solid but slow.
The cast of personnel is operating within a revolving door, with Popovich yet to crystallise his rotations outside of the unit of Walker, Mitchell, Middleton and Turner, who are locks to start. Brown and Tatum will be in the mix. So too Harris. None have natural help instincts on the interior. It will take time for the defensive principles to metastasise, particularly with a new group.
For all of Turner's physical gifts and ability to influence shots as a weakside rim protector, his lithe physique renders him vulnerable to bulkier behemoths. The Boomers exploited this. Other teams with huge front lines, such as Serbia, will too.
Mason Plumlee and Lopez are both stout, but both also have warts. Plumlee can't shoot, whilst Lopez lacks mobility and will surrender midrange territory. Turner might just be the best choice.
Canada played with more force to open the second half, led by the probing dance of Pangos, who found a willing partner in Birch.
Popovich promptly reintroduced Brown, who immediately scored inside and then stole the ball and fed Tatum for the windmill dunk on the break, to take the lead back to 56-41.
"Jaylen is just a hard-nosed player," Popovich said. "He understands what has to be done. He doesn't care about anything except playing with his teammates, winning, playing aggressively all the time."
Much has been made of the absentees from this Team USA squad. Despite the fretting, it is still Team USA. Despite the hasty reconstruction of this roster, the Americans still boast a collection of rising talents and All-Star-calibre talent, all too eager to prove that they are capable of shouldering the burden of legacy.
There is no superstar, but in Walker, Team USA has one of the premier pick-and-roll scorers in the world. Mitchell will be a multiple-time All-Star. Perhaps Tatum as well. Middleton is an All-Star. Lopez was an All-Star
This is still a fearsome group for the World Cup, even without a brand name. We saw this with lucid clarity.
The remaining challenge for Popovich is, rather unfairly, to accelerate the development of an ecosystem that accentuates the strengths of each individual to benefit the greater good.
"We're learning a lot," Popovich said. "This group has never been together before. We still have a lot to learn."
The aura of Team USA's head coach will envelop this team with a level of confidence and belief. This was another important stepping stone in the Americans' preparation for the tournament.
"Execution takes time," Popovich said. "Guys have to get used to each other."
Canada will chalk this one as a bad night. As Nurse says, you can't be perfect every night. Team Canada move on, taking much from its five-game trip in Australia. What matters is when the real games start.
"A good night to be s---ty," Nurse said.