By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
An overtime win over Australia sent Serbia to the Semifinals of the men’s basketball tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Bogdan Bogdanovic put in 17 points with 6/17 from the field, six assists, five rebounds, and one block, lasting nearly 37 minutes on Thursday.
“Very tough game. I am glad we showed character and returned from a 24-point deficit,” he talked about his side’s performance with the Radio Television of Serbia, relays Mozzart Sport.
“They made extremely hard shots. Everyone contributed to this win. Even when things were not going our way, we believed in the win and continued to support each other,” added the 31-year-old winger, “Perhaps some people expected an easier game, but we were playing in the Quarterfinals, the most difficult stage of the tournament.”
The team coached by Svetislav Pesic went 2-1 in pool play. After losing to the United States in Gameday 1, bouncing back with wins against Puerto Rico and South Sudan clinched the second seed of Group C and a berth in the Quarterfinals. On the Semifinals, barring an upset from Brazil later today (21:30 CET) in Paris, a rematch versus Team USA will be the next challenge on Thursday.
“The plan is the same, sacrifice, teamwork, spirit, and faith,” noted Bogdanovic, “We always believe in victory.”
Coming out of his seventh NBA campaign and fourth season with the Atlanta Hawks, he is up to 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.8 steals per contest in the Olympic Games.
Photo Credit: FIBA