Serbia – Canada
International - FIBA World Cup, Knockout stage, Semifinal
The Basketball Expert
Out of the blue, Serbia played its best game in the last ten years against Lithuania. Absolutely nothing indicated that such a thing would happen. On both sides of the court, Svetislav Pesic's team looked impressive. Bogdan Bogdanovic was hitting from all positions in offense, while Aleksa Avramovic displayed a defensive masterclass. Stefan Jovic played like he did in his prime, and the X-factor was Filip Petrusev. If Serbia maintains this level, then even the gold medal is not unthinkable. On Tuesday, they appeared united like never before. Their teammate Boris Simanic lost a kidney due to complications. It was a big shock for everyone within the team, but Simanic's message on the day of the game further motivated them to leave everything on the court. They did just that and tactically and energetically dismantled their opponents, securing a spot in the semifinals. With that victory, Serbia secured their place in the Olympics, which was their primary goal.
As expected, Canada confirmed its quality in the showdown against Slovenia. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his MVP campaign with 31 points and 10 rebounds. RJ Barrett had his best game of the tournament (24 points, 9 rebounds), while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dillon Brooks did what they do best. All of this was enough for a comfortable win in the quarterfinals. However, they will now face a team that is defensively on a much higher level than the previous opponent. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has almost no contribution from the bench. The rotation is down to seven players, all of whom play in the NBA. The other five who play in Europe are nowhere near the same quality, and there is no risk of putting them on the court.
Brazil and Spain have shown how to play against Canada. Without exceptional defense, it is impossible to threaten them. Fortunately for coach Pesic, Serbia's defense is excellent. They will find a way to at least slow down Gilgeous-Alexander, while Milutinov has an advantage against Canadian centers. If Serbia's three-point shooting is on a solid level, this is a 50/50 game. Let's not overlook the much greater experience in such crucial games that Serbian players have. Almost no one in Canada has had significant roles in the playoffs and in games that mattered a lot. They showed composure against Spain, but this will be a completely different story. Don't rule out the possibility of seeing overtime.
Pistol Pete
Everything that the Serbian basketball players have shown so far at the World Cup supports the fact that they will be a worthy rival to the favorites from Canada in the semi-final match at the World Cup.
In continuity, Serbia shows exceptional team play both in attack and defense. The only defeat in six matches at the world championship, against Italy 78:76 in a duel played on September 1, does not change that impression. It is obvious that Serbian players are playing with more and more understanding and routine as time goes on. The best proof is the 87:68 victory in the quarter-finals against Lithuania, in the match played on Tuesday. The assessment of the basketball public who follows the World Cup is that it was the best team performance so far at the championship.
Of course, Canada remains the slight favorite in the fight for the final. A team with numerous NBA stars broke the resistance of excellent Slovenia in the quarterfinals 100:89. The impression is that the Slovenians could not follow the attacking rhythm of the Canadian players from the beginning to the end of the match. However, it must be pointed out that, when it comes to defense, Serbia is a much more competent team than Slovenia.
Canada's only loss so far in the championship was on September 1 against Brazil, 69:65. Then the Canadians played a difficult and exciting match against a weakened Spain and won 88:85. Overall, the impression is that Canada did not show convincing games at the World Cup, as expected from this national team.
The impression is that the Canadian team depends too much on the inspiration of NBA star Gilgeous-Alexander. The famous guard was fantastic against Slovenia and scored 31 points with ten rebounds. However, Serbia has several defenders (Jovic, Bogdanovic, Dobric), who can cause problems for Canada's main player, at least in some phases of the game.
For Serbia in the semi-finals, it is crucial that the pick-and-roll game through starting center Nikola Milutinov works. If this is the case, the team of experienced head coach Svetislav Pesic can hope for victory.
What is certain is that Canada cannot count on an overly convincing victory in this game. In previous matches, this national team struggled to break the resistance of strong European teams. Such a case will be this time as well.
It is difficult to predict the outcome and the winner, as well as the total number of points in the match - because, in the case of Canada, the number varied significantly from match to match... However, what is certain is that we will have a great fight, probably until the last minute, so any variant of a convincing triumph for either team must be ruled out.
Serbia will proudly play with great motivation until the end, even if during the match in some stages they face a serious difference in favor of the rival. It is crucial for both coaches to relax and prepare the players for a difficult match, in which one detail in the final moments can decide the winner.