USA and Serbia: Titans Collide in Olympic Semi-Final
With the four quarter-final games concluding, the stage is set for the Olympic Men’s Basketball semi-finals on Thursday. The powerhouse that is Team USA is matched up with one of the best teams in the world, Serbia, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. On the other side of the bracket, reigning world champion Germany will take on the home country France.
In the quarter-final game, Serbia faced off against Australia, completing a 24-point comeback to beat Australia 95-90 in overtime. Australia dominated early in the game behind Patty Mills’ 20-point first half, leaving Serbia trailing 44-20 in the second quarter. Nikola Jokić led his team with a commanding presence on both ends of the court in the second half, helping Serbia complete one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic basketball history. Jokić finished the game with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 crucial steals. Bogdan Bogdanović added 17 points in the victory, but we should see him play a even bigger role offensively if Serbia wants a chance to beat the dominant Team USA in the semis.
Team USA, on the other hand, had a more lopsided game on their way to the semi-finals, defeating their quarter-final opponent Brazil by 35 points. Team USA has been formidable throughout the tournament, with yet another all-around performance from the players. Six players scored in double figures and the team scored 122 points, the highest by any team in this tournament so far.
This brings us to the semi-final between the two teams, USA and Serbia. USA has beaten Serbia twice in the last three weeks, with USA prevailing 110-84 in the group stage game. Team USA’s all-around scoring threat can present serious trouble to the Serbian defense which has proven to be versatile and physical. However, team USA has so many scoring options as they have had four different leading scorers in four games they have played in this tournament, making it extremely tough for defenses to adapt.
One important factor of the game will be how Serbia can put together stops against the dominant USA offense. Serbian players need to step up to the challenge and be aggressive defensively, especially lead guard Aleksa Avramović and 6'11" forward Filip Petrušev, who will play significant roles in whatever defensive scheme Serbia throws at USA. They will also need to slow down the game and be cautious on offense, as Team USA can be very dangerous in transition. The superstars of USA can cause irreversible damage if they start capitalizing on Serbian turnovers.
To give Serbia a chance, Serbia not only needs their MVP Nikola Jokić to perform, they also need their other players to play well when Jokić is off the court. In the group stage game Serbia played against USA, Serbia was a +0 when Jokić was playing and in the nine minutes that he was off the court they were a -26. Similarly in the game against Australia, Serbia was +17 with Jokić on and -12 with him off. The Serbians simply cannot let that happen again.
Team USA is aware of that and is particularly focused on containing Nikola Jokić, utilizing their trio of big men: Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo. Each brings different defensive strengths to counter Jokić’s versatile play. Coach Steve Kerr in an interview said, “We can’t get lulled to sleep because we beat them twice,” emphasizing the importance of not underestimating the Serbian team.
This game represents a significant opportunity for Team USA’s big men to seek payback for past NBA defeats against Jokić. Anthony Davis, reflecting on their preparation, said, “We have three bigs who just keep rotating and make it tough for him. We’ll give him a steady diet. Each of us offers a different look, different size. He’ll have to deal with that.”
The highly anticipated semi-finals are set to take place Thursday Aug 8th, 2024, with each team fighting for a chance to play for the coveted gold medal.
