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The Preview
Just two days after their thrilling comeback from being 24 points behind, Serbia prepares for a tougher challenge in the Semi-Finals as they face an unstoppable United States team. The Americans m to ext their unbeaten streak and secure their fifth consecutive gold medal.
It's no coincidence that these teams have already met twice this summer. Team USA had no trouble defeating them both times - winning an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi and then comfortably taking control of the Group C match-up, leaving Serbia with a defeat.
Let's dive into the Semi-Finals clash at Bercy Arena on Thursday night.
Key matchup
Will Nikola Jokic be able to handle the United States' trio giants?
As the world's best player right now, with accolades like three NBA MVP awards and one championship under his belt, Serbia's star player Nikola Jokic faces an even more daunting challenge agnst USA's trio of stars - Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo.
Jokic's rest minutes will be crucial. In their match-up in Lille, while playing 30:45 minutes on the court, Serbia were tied with USA at 81-81. However, when he sat out for those final nine minutes, they lost by a score of 29-3.
Serbia's success hinges largely on how well their backup centers can contn the Americans while Jokic takes his much-needed rest periods.
X-factors
Who will shine?
Basketball today relies heavily on accurate shooting. With stars like Steph Curry and Bogdan Bogdanovic present on these rosters, a high-scoring performance from any player other than LeBron James or Nikola Jokic could change the course of this game.
Kevin Durant had an exceptional first half in their previous match-up scoring 21 points in less than nine minutes, while Anthony Edwards posted impressive numbers with 26 points agnst Puerto Rico.
Anthony Edwards' windmill dunk
...and more...
Bogdanovic scored a career-high 30 points agnst South Sudan and was assisted by Vasilije Micic and Ognjen Dobric who helped boost Serbia's performance in their game agnst Australia.
Serbia's offensive rebounding prowess might give them an advantage, with players averaging 94 points per game over the last three games.
Past matchups
Their storied rivalry dates back to major tournaments where they've faced off multiple times in both finals and group stages of FIBA Basketball World CupOlympics. The USA have always come out on top, winning by a combined total difference of 67 points across those two finals.
In the Semi-Finals game during their Olympics clash in 2016, Serbia nearly pulled off an upset powered by Jokic's impressive 25 points and 6 rebounds but fell short with a narrow scoreline of 94-91.
Back to history when they were still part of FR Yugoslavia, Serbian players faced the Americans at the 1996 Olympics final in Atlanta, Georgia, losing an utterly dominating game by a scoreline of 96-59.
Even further back, Serbia had several encounters with the USA during the Olympics as part of the unified Yugoslav teams from the past decades. They lost all six meetings across finals and group stages.
FIBA
The engagement at these Olympic Basketball Tournaments has reached new heights in terms of popularity. Serbia, France, and Canada are among those climbing up the ranks in the latest FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike.
Explore more with our comprehensive Game Schedule PDF and Media Guide. Secure your tickets now to experience this intense competition firsthand.
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