In the Paris Olympics semifinal, the US men’s basketball team narrowly avoided defeat over Serbia on Thursday night, setting up an exciting test for the team.
The squad was predicted to win another Olympic championship with ease, even though it was captained by NBA All-Stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry. The battle is now more intense than ever, though, as the rest of the globe has recently caught up to the Americans.
The world’s finest player and three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokić, led Serbia, a formidable opponent for the United States. With a 76-63 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the US needed to exert tremendous effort to win.
The US scored six baskets in only two seconds, and Kevin Durant’s three-pointer and Anthony Davis’ foul call that kept the US in the game were the turning point. After that, Devin Booker made three more free throws, cutting Serbia’s lead to 78-73. Following this thrilling sequence that shook Serbia and enthralled the Americans, Stephen Curry made two crucial three-pointers to seal the US victory.
In Paris, Serbia excels, with Bogdanovic and Jokić shining despite the US victory
Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia scored 20 points to lead his side to victory, and Nikola Jokić put up a strong showing with 17 points and 11 assists. Joel Embiid, who received jeers for opting to represent the United States over the tournament’s hosts, France, scored 19 points in the meantime.
This time, the USA failed, despite their remarkable record of eight consecutive gold medals at the Olympics, with just a misstep in 2004 when they took home bronze. The Serbian team’s exceptional performance was acknowledged by USA coach Steve Kerr, who showered them with praise.
Kerr stated; “I’ve never played in a better basketball game than this one. They were flawless. They executed the game flawlessly. and they compelled us to compete at the highest level available. And our boys performed admirably in the fourth quarter, winning the game.”