USABMNT 2014: Gold Medal Game vs Serbia, Preview

USABMNT 2014: Gold Medal Game vs Serbia, Preview (Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via USA Basketball)

USA (8-0) vs Serbia (5-3)

Tip-off: Sunday, September 14, 2014- 12:00PM PDT

Location: Palacio de los Deportes (Barclaycard Center), Madrid, Spain

TV: ESPN2

Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors #LetsGoWarriorsLive

Last Game:

Serbia- Won 90-85 vs France

USA- Won 96-68 vs Lithuania

Probable Starting Lineups:

USA:

PG: Kyrie Irving (10.4 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.8 RPG)

SG: Stephen Curry (10.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3.0 RPG)

SF: James Harden (13.1 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG)

PF: Kenneth Faried (12.5 PPG, 0.8 APG, 7.9 RPG)

C: Anthony Davis (13.0 PPG, 0.8 APG, 6.9 RPG)

Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski

Serbia:

PG: Milos Teodosic (14.0 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.4 RPG)

SG: Stefan Markovic (5.5 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.4 RPG)

SF: Nemanja Bjelica (11.1 PPG, 2.6 APG, 7.4 RPG)

PF: Nikola Kalinic (5.9 PPG, 0.8 APG, 1.8 RPG)

C: Miroslav Raduljica (13.5 PPG, 0.5 APG, 4.8 RPG)

Head Coach: Aleksandar Djordjevic

Keys to the game:

The Serbians performed extremely well in the last game, pulling off the upset against a France team that had just come off their victory against Spain.

Led by their fearless point guard, Milos Teodosic (last game: 24 pts, 9-for-12 FG), Serbia came up clutch when closing out the game as France was almost successful in their comeback.

If a player like Klay Thompson can lockdown the 6-foot-5-inch pick-and-roll maestro on the perimeter without getting into foul trouble, Serbia will have a difficult time establishing a consistent rhythm.

Miroslav Raduljica (11 pts, 4 rebs), Serbia’s young 7-foot center who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks, has had an awesome tournament and will utilize his high-IQ play to make things interesting against Team USA, as will Serbia’s 6-foot-10-inch small forward, Nemanja Bjelica (10 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts).

The other two main players Team USA should look out for are shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13 pts, 4 asts) and NBA veteran Nenad Kristić (11 pts, 3 rebs) off the bench.

Kristić normally only plays for short spurts, but he gives Serbia a legit backup center. Bogdanovic is the real weapon off the bench, a sixth man capable of heating up quickly.

While Team USA is expected to come out with the easy win, Warriors guard Stephen Curry is definitely not underestimating their opponent.

Warriors teammate Nemanja Nedovic, who was originally part of Serbia’s roster prior to suffering a foot fracture, was sure to wish the #SplashBrothers well in their game against his national team and didn’t give away any secrets that would have given them an advantage.