United States coach Gregg Popovich loves Patty Mills but not when he's on Boomers duty.
Popovich has coached Mills at San Antonio Spurs since the Australian guard joined the NBA club in 2012.
Now on opposing sides with the Boomers facing Team USA in two games in Melbourne before next month's FIBA World Cup, Popovich isn't happy.
Mills was a stand-out for the Australians in the 102-86 loss on Thursday night, finishing with 19 points and three assists.
"That's Patty," the veteran coach said after the match.
"I'm so happy he's on my team back in the NBA but playing him here, he's a real pain in the arse.
"He moves, he cuts, he's smart, he's tough - he's a pain in the arse."
The two embraced briefly after the match at Marvel Stadium with Popovich continuing his run of jokes with Mills.
This week he told media that Mills had given the US team the Boomers' game plan and also that he planned to take his player to dinner to ensure he "got fat" before the games.
Popovich said he gave Mills a post-match warning.
"I just tried to intimidate him - tell him that 'You want a contract, let's talk and make a deal here because you're not going to play like that'," he joked.
Mills said after the game he was thrilled to play in front of more than 51,000 fans at home.
"It was awesome - obviously there was a big build-up for a year to be able to get to this point was an awesome opportunity," the 31-year-old said.
"Basketball in Australia has been waiting for something like this.
"It's an opportunity for us to play against a powerhouse team to help us grow and build for the world championships but you can see how much support is there for basketball and our national team so hopefully we can keep the momentum."
Australian Associated Press
