The Boomers led by two points at half-time and in the final quarter before the US pulled out some magic to prevail 98-88.

Team USA’s Paul George has lit the fuse for a fiery re-match with the Boomers should the Americans face the might of Australia in the finals at Rio.

“We knew we were going to get their best,” George said.

“It was an adjustment for us. The game kind of got of hand early with the physical play.

“We knew that coming in - this team has a knack for being a little dirty.”

Australia were clinical and looked like ending the USA’s 70-match winning streak for most of the encounter.

“I thought the second half we did a good job of just matching them,” George said.

“We were doing the same stuff they were doing and we got hacked for it. We’re fine playing physical, that’s our game in the NBA, but if they going to allow us to play that way they got to play it both ways.”

Australia's impressive performance follows opening round victories over France and Serbia.

Boomer Patty Mills was one of Australia’s best, notching 30 points with teammates Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova refusing to be intimidated by their counterparts.

“We had every opportunity to push that game ... we still lost the game, it doesn’t mean anything,” Bogut said.

“I know people are proud of us and we’re not supposed to beat these guys ... but we believe we can beat them and we lost the game.”

USA has beaten the Boomers in all seven of their encounters dating back to 1964.