Andrew Bogut sits, Australia beat China 93-68 in men’s basketball

Australia will conclude pool play on Sunday against Venezuela. (Source: AP)

Australia played without center Andrew Bogut and easily handled China 93-68 on Friday in men’s basketball.

Bogut, who came back from a left knee injury sustained in the NBA Finals to represent his country in Rio, sat on the bench in street clothes and cheered his teammates on to their third win of the tournament. Bogut’s chances of playing in these games looked slim when he badly bruised his knee while playing for Golden State in June, but the former No. 1 overall draft pick pushed himself hard to make it to Brazil

Cameron Bairstow scored 17 points and Aron Baynes 12 for the Aussies, who lost to the United States by only 10 on Wednesday and are eyeing their first Olympic medal.

Australia will conclude pool play on Sunday against Venezuela.

Yi Jianlian scored 20 to pace China. The 29-year-old played four seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee, New Jersey, Washington and Dallas.