BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - Australia have had an easy time so far at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, but they will face their first true acid test in the Quarter-Finals against defending champions China.

The Aussies are coming in very heavy favorites, especially after the way they dismantled the opposition in Group D. The Boomers won by an average of 32.3 points per game, and they have rested for around five days already. They should enter this game fresh, although that long layoff may also work against them if they show some rust. The cannot afford to look past the Chinese, who have yet to show their true potential after dropping a game against the Philippines and barely scraping by Qatar and Iraq.

Key Matchups: Mitch Creek has been the most potent Boomer so far in this tournament. The 1.98m guard is averaging close to 16 points per game while also adding 6 rebounds and about 2 dunks per game. His scoring has been steadily increasing with each passing bout, and at least in terms of pure athleticism, he will be a tough matchup for China. Speaking of China, the guy who will probably have to guard Creek is the very physical Li Gen. Li's strength is three-point shooting and getting in the heads of his opponents, but he will have to pull something special out of his bag of tricks if he hopes to hamper Creek's production.

Key Stats: Australia are not really the flashiest team in this tournament, but they do so many things so well. Compared to China, the Boomers are the better side in terms of rebounds, assists and points in the paint. They have been bigger than all of their opponents so far, but that will not be the case against the Chinese, who are the biggest team in the entire competition. Coach Du Feng must make sure his players are mentally ready for this encounter. They have to believe they can beat Australia and be aggressive, which means the team's go-to-guys like Guo Ailun and Zhou Peng have to step up.

FIBA