Former Knicks Center Shines Despite Spain’s Loss vs Australia

Willy Hernangomez, who once played for the New York Knicks, played well in his Olympics opener.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 27, 2024

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Spain centre Willy Hernangomez (14) battles with Australia small forward Jack McVeigh (17) for the ball in men's Group A play during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

Former New York Knicks center Willy Hernangomez is recovering after his Spanish Olympics team lost their opening match 92-80 at the hands of Australia on Saturday afternoon in Lille, France.

Hernangomez scored 14 points on 6 of 14 shooting in the loss. Only Memphis Grizzlies center Santi Aldama, who scored a game-high 27 points, and legendary EuroLeague point guard Sergio Llull, who had 17 points off the bench, scored more for the Spaniards.

Spain fell behind early in the first quarter, going down double digits against Australia, and they simply never recovered in the first half. However, things began to pick up in the third quarter, and Spain even took a lead with 5:58 to go in the frame.

On the very next possession, NBA veteran point guard Patty Mills knocked down a three to go back in front, and it was a lead they never gave up on. The Boomers closed the third quarter on a 15-4 run to go out in front by nine.

While Spain brought it to within four points in the fourth quarter, that was as close as they would get and Australia picked up a very important first win.

For the Aussies, Houston Rockets center Jock Landale led the way with 20 points. The aforementioned Mills also came in clutch with 19 points of his own, while Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels put 13 points up on the scoreboard.

Australia could be a threat for the United States, but they have arguably the toughest group out of the three in Group A with Canada and Greece also in the mix. The top two teams qualify from each group and the top two third place teams get in as wild cards.

Hernangomez and Spain will play their next game on Tuesday with a tip off at 5 a.m. ET on Peacock.

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Published Jul 27, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.