Although there is a ton of talent in the men’s Olympic basketball competition, Serbia and Greece seem like the front-runners for the gold, led by Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Greece has only played one preparatory match since winning the OQT, and they defeated Puerto Rico in spite of the absence of several important players. This match in Belgrade was meant to give us a better idea of Greece’s form before the Olympics. They did, however, miss Nick Calathes because of a minor injury, but by the end of the week, he should be back to play.

However, ahead of their practice match, Serbia learned that Nikola Jovic has been given the all-clear by medical staff to compete in the Olympics. The Miami Heat forward will bolster Svetislav Pesic’s lineup with more size and athleticism.

With a score of 94-72, Serbia won and gave Greece’s national team head coach Vassilis Spanoulis his first-ever loss.

Despite the extremely pleasant atmosphere prior to the game, the teams faced up against one another right away. In addition to looking smooth with the ball and making open three-pointers, Serbia wasn’t afraid to use a triple team against Giannis.

With two of his trademark assists in the second quarter, Nikola Jokic took command. At the Olympics, his relationship with Milutinov might take some by surprise. Serbia went into the second half leading by nine points.

Kostas Papanikolaou and Giannoulis Larentzakis’ three-pointers helped Greece close the deficit in the third quarter. Halfway through the last quarter, Giannis also seemed to be on a mission.

Jokic and his colleagues, though, prevented the visitors from cutting the lead any farther, ensuring a peaceful conclusion to the match.

Jokic vs. Giannis in the post was the much-anticipated matchup that many game watchers eventually got to see in the fourth quarter. Let’s declare their personal duel a tie, but Nikola Jokic was unquestionably the game’s MVP because Serbia prevailed.

When Nikola Jokic is on the court, everything seems to go so well. We are aware that he is keen to impress Serbian supporters in his last game before leaving for France this summer. In 24 minutes, the NBA MVP ended with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 17 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds.

The Serbian team is playing well, as seen by their thirty team assists. The fact that Pesic’s team converted 44% of their three-point attempts indicates that the majority of their long-range attempts were open. Bogdan Bogdanovic, their captain, made all five of his attempts from beyond the arc for 19 points, demonstrating impeccable form.

The lost rebounding battle(22–37) and particularly the 10 offensive rebounds given up to Serbia will worry Spanoulis.

In case anyone was unsure, Serbia appears to be prepared. As always, Nikola Jokic makes everyone around him, especially Nikola Milutinov, feel better. The 2023 FIBA World Cup runners-up have great connection, with Bogdanovic leading the way, and their ball movement is flawless as always. Micic’s form and his capacity to create opportunities for his teammates in a fiercely competitive atmosphere may be among the few worries for Serbian supporters.

In Greece, it’s very difficult to repeatedly achieve physical peak throughout the summer. Although Spanoulis’ team still has some time before their first game in France, they currently appear to be out of condition. They can play basketball well and with a lot of intensity, as we have seen.

In their first Olympic test, Greece takes versus Canada on Saturday, while Serbia takes on the powerful USA on Sunday.