News DeskAbu Dhabi, UAE – The USA Basketball Showcase continued to captivate basketball enthusiasts as Serbia, ranked No. 4 globally, clashed with the No. 5 Australian Boomers on Tuesday night at the Etihad Arena. In a thrilling encounter, Australia emerged victorious, much to the delight of the packed arena.
Nikola Jokic, the Serbian powerhouse and reigning NBA MVP, demonstrated his exceptional skills by scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Despite his efforts, the Serbian team looks forward to a challenging match against Team USA the following day.
Veteran Patty Mills led the Australian team, delivering a stellar performance with 28 points and five assists, marking the end of their participation in the USA Basketball Showcase on a high note.
The game drew thousands of fans, highlighting the event as a prime preparation camp before the teams head to France for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Both Serbia, last year’s FIBA World Cup finalists, and Australia, the 2022 FIBA Asia champions and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists, are eyeing Olympic glory.
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian expressed his satisfaction with the event: “The whole setup, every aspect of it, has been really enjoyable—from the warm hospitality to the food, to the support staff, and the people around taking care of us. The environment last night against Team USA was incredible, not a seat available, and it felt like a gold medal game. And tonight, against Serbia, having our fans behind us was fantastic. It felt very much like what we’ll experience when we get to the Olympic Village. That’s what this was all about: getting quality games. We played two great teams. My team grew during this period, both on and off the floor, and we’re really happy with this being our passage to the Olympic Village. We got what we wanted—a big win.”
Patty Mills echoed his coach’s sentiments: “Our experience in Abu Dhabi was quality—really quality games. You can’t ask for much more than playing the US and Serbia, such heavyweights in international basketball. It’s great preparation for us. Finding ways to win international games in key moments is crucial. Tonight was a great example. We felt it a bit at the end of last night’s game against the US.”
Serbian forward Aleksej Pokuševski emphasized the importance of the preparation games: “We just need to keep practicing in these preparation games. We liked the experience in Abu Dhabi; it’s great for us. We will play Team USA tomorrow and will do our best to get the win.” He also praised playing alongside Jokic: “Playing with Nikola Jokic, one of the best players in the world, is great. It’s fantastic to have him on our side.”
