Bogut after Australia upsets France: 'We need to be pricks defensively'

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Andrew Bogut looked to be recovered from a late-season knee injury Saturday, as he helped lead Australia to an 87-66 upset win over France in the first game of Group A preliminary Olympic play.

The veteran center, who suffered multiple bone bruises in his left knee during Game 5 of the NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors, played 23 minutes Saturday, his first significant action since the injury. He scored 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting, snagging four rebounds, dishing five assists, and blocking one shot. His frisky interior defense was a significant factor in holding France to 42.1 percent shooting and forcing them into 18 turnovers.

Bogut says that's just the way the Boomers drew it up.

"Before this tournament, we said our identity's going to be we need to be pricks defensively," he said after the game, according to NBA.com's John Schuhmann.

Bogut, who has since been traded to the Dallas Mavericks, initially expected the injury to prevent him from representing his country in Rio, calling his participation "very unlikely." A month later, he was added to Australia's Olympic roster. He'd been used very sparingly in exhibition play before leading the upset of the world's fifth-ranked nation.

"There were some people who thought it wasn't a good idea to go, but I committed to this a year ago," Bogut told reporters on Friday. "I didn't want it to end this way. I'm 32 years old. I've made a plethora of money, got the NBA championship and all that, but being part of this group is a special thing for me."

Australia will continue its preliminary play Monday against No. 6 ranked Serbia.