Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds as Serbia defeated Australia 95-90 in overtime on Tuesday, advancing to the Olympic basketball semifinals.
Serbia staged a remarkable comeback after trailing by 24 points in the first half, setting up a semifinal matchup against either the United States or Brazil. The Serbian team is pursuing its first Olympic medal since securing silver at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, where a then-21-year-old Jokic made his Olympic debut.
Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed significantly to the victory, scoring 17 points. He expressed the pressure the team felt during the game, stating, “Honestly, we didn’t keep cool. But we knew we were down and we needed to find some momentum and rhythm. … They had the whole momentum of the game. As I said, this is the biggest pressure of the tournament. Quarterfinals. You know if you lose, you’re out.”
On the other hand, Patty Mills led Australia with 26 points, though he managed only six points in the second half. Josh Giddey added 25 points to the Australian effort. Mills remarked on the challenge of competing against world-class teams, saying, “I thought we threw everything at them. We’re playing against world-class individuals. World-class teams. World-class coaches. And this is why you play international basketball. It’s a different sport than any other league around the world. It brings the best out of everyone.”
In a tense overtime, Jokic put Serbia ahead 91-90 with just over a minute remaining. Following a missed shot by Australia’s Jack McVeigh, Serbia regained possession, allowing Jokic to score again. Australia attempted to inbound the ball to Mills, but the pass was intercepted by Serbia.
Serbia made a strong push in the third quarter, culminating in a jumper from Bogdanovic that gave them a 61-60 lead. This basket was part of a significant 40-14 scoring run. Serbia entered the fourth quarter leading 67-65 and was ahead 81-78 when Giddey hit a short jumper, narrowing the margin to a single point with just over a minute left in regulation.
Australia secured a rebound after a missed shot by Bogdanovic, but Mills was unable to convert on the other end. Australia managed to force a turnover from Vasilije Micic, who was fouled on the rebound with 9.8 seconds remaining. He made 1 of 2 free throws, setting the stage for a final attempt from Mills, who lost his dribble but recovered to hit a fallaway jumper, sending the game into overtime.
