Team USA Survives Serbia Scare In Paris, Advances To Gold Medal Game
Serbia fell to Team USA in their semifinal matchup in Paris, 95-93.
Despite a heroic performance by Serbian MVP candidate Nikola Jokić, a poor final possession doomed Serbia.
Team USA will face the winner of Spain vs. Lithuania in the gold medal game on Sunday.
The game was tied at 93 with :09 seconds remaining when Serbia inbounded the ball to Nikola Jokić near the top of the key. Jokić took one dribble to his left, drawing a closeout from Harrison Barnes. He picked up his dribble and surveyed the court for an open teammate.
With time winding down, Jokić passed the ball to Nemanja Nedović in the corner. Nedović caught the pass and immediately shot a three-pointer that bounced off the rim.
Team USA rebounded the missed shot, and Jayson Tatum was fouled with :01 seconds remaining. Tatum hit both free throws to give Team USA a 95-93 lead.
Serbia had one last chance to tie the game, but Jokić's desperation heave from half-court fell short.
Jokić finished the game with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bogdan Bogdanović added 22 points, and Nemanja Nedović added 20 points.
For Team USA, Tatum led the way with 23 points. Kevin Durant added 21 points, and Bam Adebayo added 18 points.
Trinchieri on What Serbia Lacked to Beat Team USA in Paris: "One Possession and One Less Curry"
After the game, Serbia head coach Sergio Trinchieri was asked what his team needed to do to beat Team USA.
"We needed one more possession," Trinchieri said. "And we needed one less Curry."
Trinchieri's comments were a nod to Stephen Curry's impact on the game. Curry, who missed the first four games of the tournament with an injury, returned to action in the semifinals and immediately made his presence felt.
Curry finished the game with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He hit several big shots down the stretch, including a three-pointer that gave Team USA a 91-89 lead with :59 seconds remaining.
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