On Thursday at Bercy Arena in Paris, the United States and Serbia's men's basketball teams delivered an instant classic.
From the start, Nikola Jokic and Co. had the U.S. on their heels, deploying a zone defense that bogged down a Team USA offense that hadn't seen that in their first two tilts against Serbia.
A penchant for gambling for steals, only to come up empty, also contributed to falling behind by as much as 17 in the first half. The situation worsened in the third frame.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who finished with a team-high 20 points, continued burying threes, at times chirping Carmelo Anthony, sitting courtside, including taunting him with Anthony's signature celebration of tapping three fingers against the side of his head on the way down court after another make from beyond the arc.
Bogdanovic's sharpshooting and fiery play helped Serbia's attack remain red-hot, maintaining an average of five threes per quarter through the first three periods. That staked them to a 76-63 advantage with ten minutes left.
Team USA was lacking another facilitator to help unlock their offense. There was a glaring need for more length and defensive versatility. Someone who could also make an impact on the boards, as Serbia generated nine second-chance opportunities, consistently tapping the ball to an open teammate to extend possessions.
Jayson Tatum should've gotten the opportunity to be that elixir. That was especially true during the first half, as Anthony Edwards routinely put himself out of position while trying to jump passing lanes, putting his team in compromising positions.
Had the former not capitalized on his chance, so be it, but he fit the description of what they needed more of in the first 30+ minutes to a T.
While a remarkable 32-15 rally in the final frame propelled the U.S. to a 95-91 win and a gold medal showdown against host country France on Saturday, Steve Kerr's decision to again keep Tatum glued to the bench against Serbia was a stubborn miscalculation that nearly proved costly.
Further Reading
Team USA Salvages Gold Medal Hopes with Final Frame Rally vs. Serbia
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Celtics Rookie Anton Watson Shares Brad Stevens' Message to Him
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