Patty Mills took over late for Australia and there was nothing Nikola Jokic and Serbia could do about it.
It’s safe to say that Patty Mills is Paris 2024 ready.
Mills dropped a game-high 28 points as Australia pulled away in the final frame to deny Nikola Jokic and Serbia, 84-73, in their pre-Olympic Games exhibition match.
The Boomers team captain started hot with 13 markers in the first half and went on to deliver clutch plays down the stretch to finish with five assists, four triples and two steals against the world no. 4 team.
As Serbia was leading at 67-66 with six minutes left, Mills checked in and put on a brilliant run, collecting six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal to seal the win.
The 35 year-old drove towards the rim to collapse the defense with the shot clock ticking down, kicking it out to an open Dyson Daniels triple for a 69-67 lead.
Mills then sank a mid-range jumper and later forced a turnover from Ognjen Jaramaz, before drawing a foul and converting both free throw attempts to put Australia ahead, 73-67.
The 2014 NBA champion with the Spurs later grabbed a key offensive rebound that later translated into a Nick Kay triple for a 76-67 advantage before an emphatic Dante Exum slam padded the Boomers lead to 11 points, 78-67.
From that point on, the 2020 Tokyo bronze medalist held the lead en route to an impressive bounce-back win after dropping a 98-92 decision against Team USA.
[ALSO READ: Paris 2024: Clutch Booker, Haliburton step up as Team USA avert late-game tuneup collapse vs Australia]
Daniels had a solid night with 15 points and seven rebounds, Dante Exum collected 15 markers while Josh Giddey put up 13 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Jokic paced the Serbians, who are playing without Bogdan Bogdanovic, with a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Olympiacos' big man Filip Petrusev added 14 points, while Aleksa Aramovic and Nikola Milutinov chipped in with 12 points apiece.
After beating Victor Wembenyama and France in their previous tune-up match, Serbia could not overcome torrid shooting from deep, missing 19 of their 22 three-point attempts and looked worned out in the final frame as Jokic was on the bench.
[ALSO READ: Nikola Jokic powers Serbia past Wemby, France in pre-Olympics tune-up]
The Serbians will face Team USA next while Australia will take on Puerto Rico as both teams are ramping up their preparations for Paris 2024.
Story Summary:
- Patty Mills shines with 28 points to lead Australia past Serbia, 84-73, in a pre-Olympics tune-up.
- Mills' clutch performance includes pivotal plays in the final minutes, securing the Boomers' victory.
- Australia's sharp shooting and resilient defense overcome Serbia's challenges, setting a strong tone for Paris 2024 preparations.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]