On August 6, in the Olympic men’s basketball quarterfinals, Australia suffered a 90-95 comeback defeat against Serbia, failing to reach the top four.
In this game, both teams initially traded blows. Serbia experienced an offensive drought towards the end of the first quarter, allowing Australia to go on a 12-0 run led by Mills to take the lead. In the second quarter, Mills continued his scoring spree with an 8-0 run, extending Australia’s lead to 20 points. Mills scored an incredible 18 points in just 10 minutes. Then Jokic stepped up, initiating a Serbian comeback that reduced the halftime deficit to 12 points.
In the third quarter, Serbia went on a 10-0 run to take the lead, while Australia could only muster 11 points in the entire quarter. In the final quarter, although Australia managed to tie the score, they couldn’t regain the lead. Micic made free throws, and Mills hit a jumper, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, Jokic scored four straight points, enabling Serbia to complete a remarkable 24-point comeback victory over Australia.
Mills was on fire in the first half, showcasing exceptional form. He shot 8-for-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, scoring 20 points and grabbing 2 rebounds. However, his shooting percentage dropped in the second half, scoring just 4 points at one point. Fortunately, he managed to hit a crucial jumper to send the game into overtime, but he didn’t make much of an impact in the extra period.
Over the course of the game, Mills played for 35 minutes, shooting 11-for-21 from the field, 2-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He finished with a game-high 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, along with 4 turnovers and 1 foul, recording a plus-minus of -2.