'Looking like Magic Johnson': Fans go wild for Aussie World Cup hero

Aussie NBA star Joe Ingles has become the talk of the basketball world after putting on a clinic in the Boomers’ World Cup win over Senegal.

Ingles helped the Boomers overcome a slow start to beat the Senegalese 81-68 in their World Cup clash in China.

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The Utah Jazz star contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to fall agonisingly short of a spectacular triple-double.

Fans likened Ingles to NBA Hall of Famers John Stockton and Magic Johnson, such was the quality the Aussie showed at times.

Ingles dished up several magical assists early in the contest when Senegal jumped out of the blocks in style.

The 31-year-old stepped it up in the shooting department later in the match to lead Australia’s second half surge.

Ingles was on fire from behind the arc, with his sharp-shooting and passing prowess seeing fans from all around the world singing his praises.

Patty Mills top-scored for the Boomers with 22 points but coach Andrej Lemanis will be a little concerned with how his side's sluggish opening.

The Aussies started in lethargic fashion as the Senegalese dominated the boards and the early scoring to threaten a huge boilover.

Senegal were much improved from their first match mauling by Lithuania - Australia's opponents in the next match.

The Boomers will be relieved with the win but know they'll have to lift their game against a Lithuanian side, like their own, with plenty of NBA quality.

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Senegal copped a 54-point hammering from Lithuania on Sunday but were all over the Boomers in the first half as they built an early five-point lead.

Quicker to the loose ball and dominating the glass, the world No.35 side pulled in eight offensive boards to the Boomers' one in the first 20 minutes.

Fresh off scoring 108 in a 16-point defeat of Canada, a fumbling Australia also made nine turn-overs but led by three at halftime thanks to their opponent's inability to capitalise on an extra 13 field goal attempts.

Mitch Creek's athleticism shone once he was injected into the game while Ingles (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) and Mills (22 points) then found range and their improved defence lifted them 10 clear at the final break.

Senegal, fuelled by 14 points, five rebounds and four assists to Xane Dalmeida, didn't go away though, cutting the lead to five with six minutes to play.

Ingles beat the buzzer on a long three to reinstate that double-figure margin and they managed to scrap home from there.

The victory all but assures world No.11 Australia will progress from their tough first round pool, with a Canada loss to Lithuania later on Tuesday guaranteeing a top-two spot with a game still to play.

That will be against Lithuania on Thursday, while likely match-ups with France and Germany await in the second round.

Every point will count in Thursday's game given first-round results - and for-and-against - carry into the second stage, where only the top two will progress to quarter-finals.

Lithuanian, home to less than three million people but ranked six in the world, have netted four bronze medals in World Cup and Olympic competition while the Soviet's Lithuanian core led them to the 1988 Olympic gold.

While they have denied the Boomers medals in the past, Australia accounted for them at the Rio Olympics and last World Cup five years ago.

With AAP