So far at the Paris Games, it's been scary hours for opponents of the U.S. men's basketball team. Tuesday's 122-87 victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals was the third by 20-plus points in four games -- all wins -- for the star-studded Americans, the heavy favorites to claim their fifth consecutive gold medal.
But as we look ahead to Thursday's semifinal rematch against Serbia and beyond to a possible final against the winner of France-Germany, there's reason to fear the competition is about to get much tougher for Team USA.
The Americans routed Serbia in the opening game of pool play by virtue of a plus-26 margin in the 7¼ minutes that three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic rested. Expect fewer of those minutes with a medal at stake. Jokic played more than 38 minutes Tuesday as Serbia outlasted a tough Australia squad in overtime.
A year after winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines, Germany is in strong position to claim its first Olympic medal in men's basketball as the only other undefeated team in Paris. First, Germany must get past the host squad, France, which upset Canada in a quarterfinal result that should alarm the Americans.
Let's look at how Team USA has dominated so far, how it might stumble in the medal rounds and its biggest threat to winning gold.