Australia investigated over possibly throwing World Cup basketball game

Australia’s national basketball team has come under scrutiny over possibly tanking last week’s World Cup game against Angola.

Officials with the sport’s international governing body suspect that Australia purposely lost the pool game, 91-83, to avoid meeting the powerful U.S. until later in the tournament.

“The on-court behavior displayed by Australia in that game generated huge disappointment by basketball fans and experts,” FIBA said in a statement on Monday.

The defeat meant the Australians would not have to face the U.S. until the semifinals. As it turned out, they lost to Turkey, 65-64, on Sunday night in Barcelona, Spain, and were eliminated.

“Basketball Australia has an opportunity to state its case before FIBA decides whether and to what extent disciplinary sanctions shall be imposed,” the FIBA statement said.