Serbia’s Nikola Jokic questions a name throughout a males’s basketball quarterfinal recreation towards Australia at Bercy Enviornment on the Paris Olympics 2024, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)
Nikola Jokic led Serbia into the lads’s Olympics basketball semifinals on Tuesday as they rallied from 24 factors right down to edge Australia, 95-90, in additional time and arrange a possible showdown with Group USA.
Patty Mills scored 26 factors for Australia, together with 14 in a row throughout a 20-0 run spanning the primary and second quarters, however Serbia hung robust and progressively erased the deficit to drag off an epic comeback.
READ: SCHEDULE: Males’s basketball quarterfinals at Paris Olympics
Three-time NBA MVP Jokic tallied 21 factors, 14 rebounds and eight assists and obtained loads of assist from his supporting solid. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 factors as certainly one of 5 different gamers to hit double figures for Serbia.
Australia made it via the group stage regardless of shedding two of three video games, whereas Serbia pipped South Sudan to second of their part behind Group USA.
Serbia, overwhelmed 110-84 by Group USA of their event opener, may meet the reigning four-time champions once more within the semifinals if the Individuals get previous Brazil in a while Tuesday.
Australia’s Patty Mills, heart, tries to get by Serbia’s Aleksa Avramovic, left, throughout a males’s quarterfinal recreation at Bercy Enviornment on the 2024 Summer season Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)
Australia broke open a good recreation early on, fuelled by the recent hand of Mills, the 35-year-old former NBA champion who performed sparingly for Atlanta and Miami this season.
Mills drained back-to-back threes as a part of a spree that fired Australia in a 44-20 lead early within the second interval.
READ: Paris Olympics: Nikola Jokic robust in Serbia rout of Puerto Rico
However Serbia chipped away on the deficit and slashed it in half by the interval, ultimately nudging in entrance when Bogdanovic hit a brief bounce shot with 13 minutes to play.
Serbia outscored the Tokyo bronze medalists 25-11 within the third quarter to take again management, however Josh Giddey, who completed with 25 factors, ensured Australia didn’t go away quietly and Mills despatched the competition to additional time.
Mills sank a rainbow jumper over Jokic with 1.4 seconds to play to maintain Australia alive, nevertheless it was the towering Jokic heart who had the ultimate say as Serbia reeled off the ultimate eight factors in additional time.
Australia led 90-87 after a 3 from Giddey however Jokic linked with a hook shot after which made a pair of free throws to place Serbia forward for good.
Observe Inquirer Sports activities’ particular protection of the Paris Olympics 2024.
