After finishing the Preliminary Round with a 2-3 record, the Serbian National Team is on its way to the Quarterfinals. Serbia had a rollercoaster first round, beating China and Venezuela by a combined 58 points, while losing to the U.S. and France by a combined four points.
Bogdanovic’s play can be directly correlated to his team’s success. He shined in Serbia’s victories, averaging 19 points, three rebounds and two assists while making 8-of-14 (57 percent) from behind the arc. In the team’s three losses, Bogdan averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 4-of-12 (33 percent) from three-point land.
In consecutive games against the U.S. and France, the ball was in Bogdan’s hands in the final seconds. No. 7 had an opportunity to win the game against France, but his three-point attempt at the buzzer rattled out. Against DeMarcus Cousins and the U.S. National Team, Bogdan fired a three-pointer at the buzzer to try to send the game to overtime, but once again it bounced out.
Despite missing the two last-second shots, it’s a great sign to see Bogdan’s teammates and coaches trusting him to be the closer. He is the second leading scorer for Serbia, averaging 13.4 points in 26.2 minutes per contest. He is also shooting 49 percent from the field and 46 percent from downtown. His 12 made three-pointers is tied for third most so far in the Olympic tournament.
Serbia will face the top team from Group B, and will find out the identity of its opponent after Monday’s matchups conclude.
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