Huh? Team USA Basketball Takes ‘L’ To Serbia … In 3×3 Competition

Ya’ll remember Jimmer Fredette? College star. A bit in the vein of JJ Redick. Great shooter but unlike the new Lakers coach, he didn’t have the greatest NBA career. Played a few years with the Shangai Sharks, a bit of a meme when it comes to an NBA player who doesn’t have the best outing in the playoffs… Anyway, we’re getting off track, ha! So Jimmer plays on Team USA’s 3×3 team and what the American basketball community was calling a comeback tour, hit a rough patch as his squad took the ‘L’ to Serbia. Look, the Serbians can HOOP! It’s proven. That’s a real thing and a lot of their top players go to the Association but Team USA is still, well, Team USA, right? Wrong. 

On the opening day of men’s 3×3 basketball group play Fredette managed only four points on five shots, as Serbia dominated with a 22-14 victory on Tuesday night. Serbia immediately established themselves as the gold medal favorites.

Onto the game recap. The momentum shifted with 4:30 remaining, when the U.S. was still within reach. A controversial unsportsmanlike foul was called on Canyon Barry after he inadvertently elbowed Serbian defender Mihailo Vasic while making a spin move in the paint. Although Vasic hit only one of the two free throws, Serbia retained possession and extended their lead to 15-11 with a one-point shot from Marko Brankovic. However, as Serbia extended their lead, Fredette found it difficult to get open and missed a crucial wide-open layup when the U.S. was down 17-12. The U.S. struggled to catch up and fell further behind before Strahinja Stojacic sealed the game with a two-point shot from behind the arc.

Here’s Fredette’s take on things:

“They just did a better job than us of executing their game plan,” he admitted. 

“We got to that foul count really early. Once you get to that foul count early, they kept getting some easy baskets. Then they called a couple fouls where they were able to get to the free throw line and get the ball back.”

Get this, Fredette, joined the 3×3 team after being approached by USA Basketball’s Fran Fraschilla two years ago, saw the Olympics as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “As soon as I heard ‘Olympics,’ I was like, ‘I’m all in,’” he said earlier this summer. He had a point and we support that decision. We just need Jimmer to BALL OUT!

This matchup was an early test, featuring the top two teams in the world men’s 3×3 rankings. Serbia and the U.S. had previously clashed in the 2023 World Cup final, where Serbia narrowly edged out the U.S. 21-19. So this is a trend, a ha, we see ya’ll.

Despite getting kinda destroyed, Fredette remained optimistic about Team USA’s prospects, noting, “We have a long way to go.” With six more pool play games remaining before the knockout stages, there’s ample opportunity for redemption. The top two teams from the eight-team pool will advance to the semifinals, with the next four entering the play-in games.

Team USA plays Poland on Wednesday night. Listen, they better you know what or we will have a lot of fun in the next recap. Good luck, Team USA!

The post Huh? Team USA Basketball Takes ‘L’ To Serbia … In 3×3 Competition first appeared on The Source.

The post Huh? Team USA Basketball Takes ‘L’ To Serbia … In 3×3 Competition appeared first on The Source.