NBA's Mills, Bogut power Aussies over France in Rio
Australia's guard Patty Mills (C)

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