With the Quarterfinal round underway, no team can afford to lose. At the start of the knockout round, Nikola Jokic was ready to deliver his team a win. Team Serbia mounted an amazing comeback to defeat Team Australia in dramatic fashion. It was an overtime showdown that didn't disappoint. Serbia will get to move forward thanks to a win powered by Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Now, they can set their sights on whoever comes out of the United States vs. Brazil game.
NBA duo takes control
There's no questioning that the Joker is one of the greatest on the hardwood right now. His shotmaking abilities and court vision puts him above the rest. Against Australia, he had 21 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and one block. His ability to utilize the rim rule helped bring things home for the team as he knocked the ball off the rim in crunch time. Jokic also nailed one of his signature jumpers over Duop Reath to seal the game.
The Joker wasn't alone in this fight. Atlanta Hawks star Bogdanovic put up solid numbers including two free throws to end overtime. The guard finished the game with 17 points, six assists, and five rebounds. With both of them playing at high levels, and contributions coming from the rest of the starting five, it was a done deal. Vasilije Micic and Marko Guduric also delivered from the bench.
Austalia flops on the big stage
Being up 24 in the Olympics and still losing is a heartbreaker, especially when it means you're road to medaling is over. Patty Mills willed the team into overtime with an incredible shot over Jokic, but they went flat after that. It was a montage of silly turnovers and missed layups that would take the wind out of their sails.
Mills did his best coming up with 26 points in combination with Josh Giddey's 25. However, Jock Landale put up a terrible performance with five points and six rebounds. No other starter scored as Australia relied fully on their bench for a large portion of the game. On an even worse note, Giddey would go up for a wild layup in the remaining seconds, only to come down limping. Hopefully, this doesn't affect his start with the Chicago Bulls.
Team Serbia lying in wait
Now, Serbia can sit back and see who their opponent will be next round. Team USA and Team Brazil will face off at 3:30 pm EST. The favorite for the match is the US and they'll be a difficult opponent for Serbia. Brazil would most likely be their ideal opponent, but the chances that happens are slim.
One can't dismiss the magic that the Joker always pulls out in big games, but he's not surrounded by his typical Denver Nuggets teammates here. He and Bogdanovic will need to drive this bus all the way to the finish line if they want to have gold hanging around their necks. It will be interesting to see the game plan they come up with for the Semifinals.