The Americans will have to play a different game than they did in the group stage.
The United States will face Serbia in the men’s basketball quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday (Feb. 9) at Pierre Moreau Stadium in Lille, France.
The superstars of the United States have made the Olympics their focus, with LeBron James (Lakers), Steph Curry (Golden State), and Kevin Durant (Phoenix) taking center stage. They are joined by Anthony Davis (Lakers), Jrue Holiday (Boston), Jayson Tatum (Boston), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Tyrese Halliburton (Indiana), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), 파워볼사이트 추천 Derrick White (Boston), and Bam Adebayo (Miami).
It’s a stellar roster. Every player in the league is represented. Unlike the last Basketball World Cup, the big men aren”t dominated by Europe. Embiid, Davis, and Adebayo are all big men who can play on offense.
Dream Team made it to the quarterfinals without much trouble. Their quarterfinal opponent will be Serbia, led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets).
The two teams met in the first round of the group stage. The Americans won that game by 26 points, but were unable to control Jokic. Jokic finished with 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, and was Serbia’s only player with a zero turnover margin. In other words, when Jokic was on the floor, Serbia was no match for the Americans.
On the flip side, Embiid, who was supposed to control Jokic, struggled a bit with Jokic. He failed to defend Jokic. He finished with four points, two rebounds, and a -8 scoring margin, the lowest on the team.
The matchup between the United States and Serbia, as well as the matchup between Embiid and Jokic, has garnered a lot of attention. Recently, Bill Simmons gave his thoughts to ESPN. “It’s not really a rivalry (laughs), but it’s a little bit of a rivalry. They’re both centers, it’s the same position, and they’ve always competed. But Embiid has avoided facing Denver a few times. Maybe it’s because Philadelphia is weaker. But this time is different,” he said.
He continued, “Embiid plays with the best teammates. Jokic, on the other hand, is with Serbian players, not Denver players. The American players will try to stop Jokic. Embiid will have to stop Jokic. With the help of his teammates, he is a formidable player,” he said.
In the first game, he was unable to control Jokic. But as time went on, he improved his game. It will be interesting to see if he can make a difference in the second game.