Serbia ousts Australia in OT to make Olympics basketball semis

Serbia’s Nikola Jokic questions a name throughout a males’s basketball quarterfinal recreation in opposition to Australia at Bercy Area on the Paris Olympics 2024, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)

Nikola Jokic led Serbia into the boys’s Olympics basketball semifinals on Tuesday as they rallied from 24 factors right down to edge Australia, 95-90, in extra time and arrange a possible showdown with Workforce 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 one among 5 different gamers to hit double figures for Serbia.

Australia made it via the group stage regardless of dropping two of three video games, whereas Serbia pipped South Sudan to second of their part behind Workforce USA.

Serbia, overwhelmed 110-84 by Workforce USA of their event opener, might meet the reigning four-time champions once more within the semifinals if the Individuals get previous Brazil afterward Tuesday.

Australia’s Patty Mills, heart, tries to get by Serbia’s Aleksa Avramovic, left, throughout a males’s quarterfinal recreation at Bercy Area on the 2024 Summer time Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)

Australia broke open a good recreation early on, fuelled by the new 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 sturdy in Serbia rout of Puerto Rico

However Serbia chipped away on the deficit and slashed it in half by the interval, finally nudging in entrance when Bogdanovic hit a brief soar 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 extra time.

Mills sank a rainbow jumper over Jokic with 1.4 seconds to play to maintain Australia alive, but it surely was the towering Jokic heart who had the ultimate say as Serbia reeled off the ultimate eight factors in extra 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.