Abhay Singh
For the men’s basketball competition at the Olympics in Paris, six of the eight quarterfinalists have been confirmed, while three teams are still vying for the final two slots.
The United States, Germany, and Canada won their groups, while Australia and France secured the top two seeding in their respective groups, and Brazil secured one of the two wild-card slots designated for third-place teams
Last 2 Spots at the Quarterfinals
The final two quarterfinalists will be determined by the South Sudan vs. Serbia match on Saturday. Serbia and Greece move on to the single-elimination round if Serbia wins by three or more points.
If South Sudan manages to secure a victory margin of 24 points or greater, Serbia’s chances of progression in the competition would effectively be dashed, leading them to face elimination from the tournament.
Spain, Japan, and Puerto Rico have been eliminated.
“We want the No. 1 seed,”
Team USA’s head coach Steve Kerr has confirmed that winning Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico by at least five points would ensure they finish pool play as the top-seeded team, potentially creating a more favorable path to the medal round. Kerr believes that the No. 1 seed provides the best matchup in the quarterfinals, and dropping down to two or three may give them a tougher opponent.
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday may return to the U.S. starting lineup on Saturday, but must be cleared to play first due to a minor ankle injury sustained in Wednesday’s game against South Sudan.
Kevin Durant, who has led Team USA in scoring and plus-minus in two games, is open to continuing to play off the bench if Kerr prefers it. Durant believes that the focus should be on who finishes the game and makes an impact while they are in the game, rather than who starts.
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