Gonzaga men’s basketball will be represented on both sidelines during Team USA’s Olympic exhibition game against Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, as Bulldogs coach Mark Few and his former pupil Filip Petrusev reunite in an anticipated matchup against two medal contenders.
Petrusev, who was named to the Serbian national team’s final Olympic roster last week, is coming off a 17-point outing in an exhibition loss to Australia on Wednesday. The 6-foot-11 post shot 8-of-12 from the field in 24 minutes as a starter, though it wasn’t enough to overcome Patty Mills’ 28 points for the Aussies, who pulled away from the Serbians in the fourth quarter to win 84-73.
Petrusev led the way with 11 points at halftime to give Serbia a small one-point cushion at the break following an 8-1 scoring run. Mills carried a strong first half over into the second, though, as he scored eight points in the third to put the Boomers out ahead 62-59 heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The Serbs led with six minutes left before an 11-0 scoring run from Australia put the game out of reach in the final moments. The defeat came over a week after Jokic propelled a 79-67 victory over Victor Wembanyama and Team France in its first exhibition game. The NBA superstar had 20 points and 12 rebounds to Wembanyama’s 14 points and 10 boards, while Serbia held France to 34% from the field. Petrusev made a pair of 3-pointers to finish with six points and five rebounds.
Few and the Americans hope to remedy a sluggish finish against Australia on Monday, as the U.S. squandered a 15-point lead and gave up 68 points in the paint on the night in a 98-92 victory over the Boomers. Australia got within five points and cut it to four points twice in the final minute. Two clutch 3-pointers from Tyrese Haliburton and free throws from Devin Booker sealed the deal in the final seconds.
Team USA’s offense looked better than it did against Canada last week in Las Vegas, but it still committed an alarming 18 turnovers. As Steve Kerr and the staff continue to find the right puzzle pieces, it’s worth noting Anthony Davis had perhaps the biggest impact of any American with a team-high 17 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes off the bench against Australia. Davis’ rim protection and rebounding will go a long way for Team USA in Paris and could be needed to slow down Jokic.
HOW TO WATCH TEAM USA VS. SERBIA
What: Team USA faces Team Serbia in their third exhibition game leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games
When: Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT on Wednesday, July 17
Where: Etihad Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
TV: FS1