NBA's Mills, Bogut power Aussies over France in Rio

Patty Mills scored 21 points and NBA champion big man Andrew Bogut added 18 to spark Australia over France 87-66 Saturday in a Rio Olympics preliminary round opener.

Bogut, who helped Golden State win last year's NBA crown and come within one game of a repeat this year, hit 9-of-10 shots and dominated inside as the Boomers stayed ahead of France from start to finish in the Group A clash.

Matthew Dellavedova, a member of this year's NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers now playing for Milwaukee, added 10 assists while Aron Baynes had 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Aussies.

Mills is a San Antonio Spurs teammate of French star guard Tony Parker, who led his homeland with 18 points, all but two of them in a late first-half spurt.

Mills had five points in a 11-2 Aussie run early in the third quarter to give them a 51-38 lead and the Boomers kept the same margin at 61-48 entering the fourth quarter.

Bogut slammed down two dunks to cap a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter to produce a 67-48 Australia edge and France never came within 17 again.

Parker scored 16 of France's final 17 points in the second quarter, pulling his squad within 36-33 at half-time.

The 34-year-old Spurs star had 13 points in a 14-2 French run to close the first half, his jumper with two seconds remaining in the second quarter closing the spurt.

The Boomers kept Parker without a basket from the field for almost 15 minutes to open the game, jumping ahead 32-17.

Mills scored eight points to spark a 14-4 Aussie run for a 20-9 edge and Bogut, now with the Dallas Mavericks, scored six in a 14-3 run that brought their biggest first-half edge at 34-19.

Source: AFP