Malik Newman plays a cool hand as United States beat Australia in Fiba U17 final

Captain leads from the front as US overcome resilient opponents to win third straight title.

The United States, in white, had a tougher final last night than in 2010 and 2012. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // The United States were best characterised throughout the Fiba Under 17 World Championship by their lack of a defining characteristic.
Game after game, as 12 enormously talented players stormed through the group round and then the first knockout round and quarter-finals, there did not appear to be a true standout.
When the semi-finals came around and things got tough, however, team captain Malik Newman stepped up.
When the Australians pushed them to their limit last night in the championship game, Newman again stepped up.
At Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai last night the US sealed their third gold medal in as many stagings of this event but, of their three title games, this was by far their most difficult.
In 2010, they won their first championship beating Poland by 31 points. In 2012 they beat Australia by 33.
This time, the margin was only seven, their closest game in the history of the tournament, as the US won gold with a 99-92 victory.
Newman was the engine of the team, a night after leading the US in scoring in the semi-final game against Serbia, a game they led by just three points at half-time.
In the final he was even better, leading the team in scoring (21 points), rebounds (11) and assists, with three.
The Americans were always the heavy favourites to win this tournament.
When they beat Greece by 10 points on the opening day of the tournament, it was their narrowest win in the competition's three stagings, but it certainly did not conjure any real doubt.
The Serbia game was also difficult, especially in the first half, but they ultimately found an extra gear to record a 21-point win.
From the get-go against Australia on Saturday, things were different.
The Australians came out firing, making six shots in a row at one point early in the first quarter to establish a 10-point lead five minutes into the game.
The US battled back, unsurprisingly, to retake the lead by the end of the quarter.
More surprisingly, though, the Australians never let the Americans put them away.
Even when they were down 12 with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Australians showed their resolve, fighting their way back with a flurry of late shots that put the US on their heels one last time. Dejan Vasiljevic led their free-flowing, run-and-gun offence, scoring 29 points on nine-of-23 shooting.
Importantly, he made six-of-13 three-pointers, as the Australians attempted 24 triples, knowing it might be their one tool to counter the Americans' significant physical advantage.
Their 2.11-metre centre, Isaac Humphries, was limited to just eight points and six rebounds after one of the best overall showings in the tournament, illustrating the US advantage in terms of ­physicality.
Tom Wilson, on seven-of-14 shooting, netted 24 points.
For the Americans, the box score was familiar outside Newman's prominence.
Three other players, Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles, had at least 10 points and two others, Ivan Rabb and Diamond Stone, had nine apiece. Seven Americans had at least seven rebounds.
They were just too deep, too balanced – too good. But, for once, not by all that much.
In the third-place game, Serbia secured a medal with a 62-59 win over Spain as Nikola Rakicevic had 17 points and Vanja Marinkovic had 14.
They overcame a six-point halftime deficit for the win.
Newman and Stone of the US, Vasiljevic and Humphries of Australia and Rakicevic of Serbia were named in the All-Tournament Team.
Newman was named the tournament most valuable Player.
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