Hawks’ Trae Young reacts to Patty Mills’ FIBA World Cup performance
The Atlanta Hawks won’t report for training camp until late September, right along with the rest of the NBA but several Hawks players are taking part in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
One of those players, veteran Patty Mills, has been playing at a very high level through three games, notching 20-plus points in back-to-back outings for Australia. In the wake of his latest showing on August 27, new teammate and Hawks star Trae Young took notice.
“Talk your shiii,” Young said in a quote tweet of Mills’ highlights. “Crazzzy combo too!!”
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1695804925635166496
Despite the outburst from Mills, 34, the Boomers fell 85-82 to a talented German squad with Mills and former Hawk Dennis Schroder playing integral roles.
“Germany, without Franz Wagner, beats Australia behind a huge game from Dennis Schroder (30 points) to all but lock up Group E,” tweeted ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps. “Two late Patty Mills turnovers hurt the Aussies quite a bit, who couldn’t get a stop against Schroder or fellow guard Maodo Lo (20 points) all game.”
The loss puts more emphasis on their final matchup against Japan who is also 1-1 heading into the game on August 29. Teams need to finish no worse than second in their group to qualify for the knockout round which begins on September 1.
Australia versus Japan will determine that slot, assuming Germany wins its final tilt with Finland.
Mills is averaging 23 points on 55.6% shooting from the floor and 38.5% from beyond the arc with 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals through two games in the tournament.
Hawks’ Bruno Fernando helps power Angola past the Philippines
Mills wasn’t the only Hawks player in action on Sunday, with reserve big man Bruno Fernando and Angola taking on the FIBA host nation, the Philippines. Fernando had 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Angola got the 80-70 victory.
They are currently in a similar position to Australia, tied at 1-1 with Italy, though Angola’s final matchup (August 29) in this round will be the Dominican Republic which leads the group.
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Hawks swingman Bogdanovic’s Serbian squad will face Puerto Rico in just their second game of the tournament on August 28. Bogdanovic tallied 14 points to go with four rebounds and three assists in the win over China, though he struggled with efficiency shooting 40% from the floor and connecting on just 2-of-6 triples.