The USA-Serbia semifinal showdown in Paris will go down as one of the greatest Olympics basketball games of all time, as Team USA erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to rip Serbia’s hearts out and advance to the gold medal game.
The Americans were led by their veteran star trio, as Stephen Curry erupted for 36 points, LeBron James posted a triple-double, and Kevin Durant buried the dagger with a cold pull-up jumper with 30 seconds to play. Serbia nearly pulled off the upset thanks to their two stars, as Nikola Jokic had 17 points and 11 assists, while Bogdan Bogdanovic led the team with 20 points including some tough jumpers that had the building rocking.
Sitting courtside was Carmelo Anthony, as the USA Basketball legend enjoyed the opportunity to watch Team USA chase a gold medal in Paris, and his presence seemed to inspire Bogdanovic to break out Melo’s three to the dome celebration after his threes. That became quite the storyline, with many thinking Bogi was showing up Melo, but Bogdanovic insisted it was all in love. On his podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, Anthony confirmed it was all love with him and Bogi, calling him “my son” and noting that he had to force himself not to celebrate Bogdanovic’s threes cause, on the inside, he was hype watching him hit those shots.
I do love that Melo had to actively keep himself from getting too caught up in the moment and accidentally get caught cheering courtside for a Bogi three against Team USA. The atmosphere in the building was incredible and there was a stretch where it looked like Serbia really might get that W, but ultimately didn’t quite have enough firepower down the stretch to keep up with Team USA. Still, Bogi earned himself some fans with his performance, and Melo certainly appreciated him paying homage with the three to the dome.