KLAIPEDA (2015 FIBA Oceania Championship) - NBA champion Andrew Bogut did not have the sort of return he would have liked with zero points in more than 20 minutes of action for Australia on Thursday in a friendly defeat to Lithuania.

The 2.13m center missed all seven of his shots from the field and collected just one rebound but should nevertheless pose plenty of problems for New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania Championship once he does hit his stride.

Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis is just happy the Golden State Warriors center is back with the national team for the first time since 2008.

After Lithuania's 80-68 win, Lemanis said: "This is the first competitive game for a few of our guys in two or three months and so it was always going to take a little bit of time just to find our rhythm.

"That's why we're here - to find our rhythm and improve as a team."

In the Oceania Championship, Australia will take on the Tall Blacks on 15 August in Melbourne and three days later in Wellington, with the winners to clinch a spot in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the losers to go into the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

A player that had no problem putting the ball in the basket on Thursday for Australia was Brock Motum, who nearly made the Utah Jazz's roster but was cut right before the start of the 2014-15 regular season.

A member of the Australians' FIBA Basketball World Cup side last summer, Motum connected on nine of his 11 shots against Lithuania and finished with 19 points.

David Andersen and Chris Goulding contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Ryan Broekhoff added nine points and finished with team highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (five).

The game was knotted heading into the last quarter but Lithuania finished strong, outscoring the visitors 23-11 in the frame.

The two sides meet again on Friday in Siauliai.

FIBA