After wrapping up the quarter-finals of basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, attention now turns to the semi-finals. On August 8th, at Bercy Arena, two teams will battle for a spot on the podium while striving for the gold medal. The semi-finals are expected to be an exciting event as the best teams display their abilities and drive to earn a sought-after place in the final.
Germany defeated France in the final group play game and now France will have an opportunity for payback in the capital city. Both teams had convincing wins in the quarter-finals, with France defeating Canada 82-73 and Germany triumphing 76-63 over Greece.
Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder were powerful in their last game against France, scoring a total of 52 points together. It should be noted that France might opt for a different starting lineup in their next game, as they switched out Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier in their initial five players when facing Canada.
The upcoming semi-final in Paris will also feature a rematch, with the United States facing off against Serbia. Team USA remains undefeated at the Games, easily defeating Brazil in the quarter-finals without facing any significant challenges. However, Serbia recently played a very intense game in the tournament, defeating Australia in overtime despite being behind by 24 points in the first half.
During the initial game of group play, Team USA defeated Serbia by a margin of 26 points in their first encounter. Kevin Durant and LeBron James scored a total of 44 points, whereas Nikola Jokic contributed with 20 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
22-year-old Franz Wagner remains a standout player at the Games as Germany progresses to the semi-finals. He has shown great aggression driving to the basket, especially highlighted by a left-handed dunk during a fast break, barely escaping Victor Wembanyama’s defense. Wagner must continue playing at this level in order to defeat France once more.
Wembanyama has shown periods of strong play in his debut Paris Olympics, but France has relied on a collective team effort to progress in the tournament. If France wants to advance to the gold medal match, they must elevate their game by being a presence in the key on offense and defense.
Nikola Jokic has been a star player at the Paris 2024 Olympics, continuously guiding Serbia’s offense with his outstanding passing skills and controlling the rebounds. His skill in getting close to triple-doubles has played a crucial role in Serbia’s successful performance. Nevertheless, in order to defeat the strong Team USA, Jokic will have to give his most outstanding performance to date. Because of his proven abilities and past achievements, he is fully prepared to step up and have a meaningful influence.
Whenever Durant is on the court, Team USA relies on him to score. The 35-year-old player has consistently and effectively scored from various positions, surpassing Lisa Leslie as the top scorer in Team USA history during the quarter-final victory against Brazil.
Schedule for the semi-finals of men’s basketball
The men’s basketball semi-finals will both be held on 8 August at Bercy Arena in Paris.
France against Germany
11:30 in the morning
United States against Serbia
3 pm in the evening.
Guidelines on viewing live the men’s basketball semi-finals at Paris 2024.
All the exciting events from Paris 2024, such as basketball, can be watched through media rights holders (MRHs). Look at local listings or streaming platforms for information on coverage details and schedules.
Included in the list of MRHs are Nine in Australia, Globo in Brazil, CBC in Canada, CCTV in China, and various TV networks in Japan such as Fuji TV, NHK, Nippon TV, TBS, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo. Additionally, SKY NZ is included for New Zealand, SuperSport for South Africa, NBC for the United States, and Discovery Eurosport for Europe, with France Télévisions in France, ARD/ZDF in Germany, and BBC Sport in the United Kingdom also part of the mix.