A stint in China almost delivered a fatal blow to Patrick Mills's career earlier this year - but the Canberra basketballer hopes a breakout performance against the Asian nation could spark his Olympic campaign.
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Mills tore through the Chinese team as the Australian Boomers scored their first win of the London Games on Thursday.
He scored 20 points in his best performance of his second Olympics.
Just seven months ago Mills was playing in China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers while the NBA lockout stopped games in the United States.
But it turned sour when the club accused Mills of faking an injury.
Publicly he has moved on. But privately the ridiculous claim he didn't have a real hamstring injury cut the 23-year-old deep.
The Tigers' coach Bob Donewald - also the mentor of China's national team - came under fire for defending Mills.
Whether it acted as motivation or not, Mills lifted another gear as the Boomers recorded an 81-61 win.
And Boomers coach Brett Brown hopes it triggers an onslaught from the pint-sized guard.
''He [Mills] has earned the right to make shots, he's thinner than he's ever been, his fitness is at a world-class level,'' Brown said. ''He's cut up and ready to go … he's earned the right to do well and that's the message to Patty.
''I think he has to be more careful and smart with who he drives into. I love his aggression, but it has to be controlled aggression.
''I love him, I wish I had a whole team of him … I do understand the pressure on him, but I say bad luck - that's what elite athletes have to deal with.''
The Boomers are still locked in a battle to avoid the United States in the next stage of the Olympics.
Their 20-point win got them back on track, but they still have to win their last two games to ensure they avoid the powerhouse US. The Boomers' next clash is with host Great Britain today and Brown will lock himself in the ''war room'' to prepare for a massive battle.
''There's a level of advantage when you're the hosts, you have something special going for you,'' Brown said.
''They scare us, we understand the importance and we both know each other's style of play. I see them being a physical, tight defensive type of team.
''I think Great Britain has more weapons, you have to be careful. We'll go back to the war room and watch our tape, learn more about [Great Britain].''