Australia's slammed suggestions that their loss to Angola at the basketball World Cup was a tank job.

The Boomers were downed 91-83 by Angola after fielding a second-string team and letting a late 15-point lead slip.

Australia have already sealed a top-three group spot, and the defeat could potentially help them avoid facing heavyweights Team USA in a quarter-final.

But coach Andrej Lemanis insists they played in the spirit of the competition.

He says the demanding tournament schedule means he had to rest players and they had competed the right way.