That’s it from us
It was a dissappointing loss for the Boomers, but they can hardly find fault with the result the way that Serbia dominated that game from the opening minute. When they weren’t being pressured out of the ball, the Australians were sloppy on offence and couldn’t make inroads. At the other end, led by Milos Teodosic, Serbia were just too potent on offence. Thank you all for your company and do make sure you check back in for the gold medal game, which will bit this impressive Serbian squad against the NBA superstars of Team USA. It’ll be a genuine contest!
Game over! Serbia take it out - the Boomers will play for bronze
Serbia are through to the gold medal game - Australia 61-87 Serbia
And that is that. Australia have gone down by 26 points and Serbia are through to face the USA in the gold medal game. The Aussies? They’ll play Spain for bronze late on Sunday night (Monday 12:30am AEST, to be precise) after they’ve licked their wounds from this humbling loss.
4th quarter (0:32 remaining) - Australia 58-83 Serbia
The Serbians are hugging on the sidelines now and well they might. They’ve been magnificent tonight and that 15 point loss to the Boomers in the preliminary game has been proven a minor aberration.
4th quarter (1:20 remaining) - Australia 56-81 Serbia
Was Brock Motum introduced a little late? I guess the heat has gone out of the game but he’s been a real shining light with seven points in this final quarter. Jokic nails a ridiculous fade-away jumper but it’s all a bit scrappy otherwise.
4th quarter (2:55 remaining) - Australia 54-76 Serbia
Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes and Andrew Bogut are now all seated on the bench and that’s the smartest move. They need to stay off and rest up. In their absence, Brock Motum drains a corner three in front of the Boomers bench and gives their spirits a bit of a lift. The Aussies have scored the last nine points.
4th quarter (4:42 remaining) - Australia 47-76 Serbia
“This is gut-wrenching stuff. It’s hard to watch,” says Andrew Gaze, but as he points out, the Boomers are going to need to rally over the next 24 hours and prepare themselves for the bronze medal game. Australia has never won an Olympic medal in men’s basketball and that dream is still alive.
4th quarter (5:28 remaining) - Australia 43-73 Serbia
All that’s left at stake here for the Aussies is avoiding a record loss, but on current trends and the way they’re shooting that might be unavoidable.
4th quarter (6:15 remaining): Australia 43-72 Serbia
Just for something entirely different, Milos Teodosic finds some space and banks a mid-range jumper and as he does so, our attention is drawn to the hobbling Andrew Bogut, who might have a knee injury by the looks of it. That’s not great news for the Spain encounter, if so.
4th quarter (8:15 remaining): Australia 41-68 Serbia
“Some of the air has gone out of the boxing kangaroo,” says John Casey, and 80s-style cultural references aside he’s not wrong. The Boomers have just been flat in this game, outplayed from the opening minute. Ingles lays one up before a time-out is called.
4th quarter (8:55 remaining): Australia 39-68 Serbia
Unsurprisingly for a game so physical, we start off with a team foul and an unsportsmanlike one, which puts Bogut to the line for some free throws. They’re not his forte and he misses the second one. From the in-bound pass Ingles is stripped of the ball as he drives to the bucket.
Three-quarter time: Australia 38-66 Serbia - the Boomers are struggling
Well that didn’t get any better. With ten minutes to go in this game the Boomers trail by 28 points and will struggle to get much closer. Serbia are too good at both ends of the court and the Boomers couldn’t have played worse. They don’t want a blow-out but really might be better off resting their starters for that bronze medal game.
3rd quarter (1:18 remaining) Australia 38-60 Serbia
Broekhoff is fouled from a long-range attempt and makes all three free throws but Macvan has an immediate answer in transition. With a little over a minute to play in this third quarter the Boomers are no closer to hauling themselves back into the game. Right now they’re looking like playing for bronze against Spain.
3rd quarter (2:18 remaining) Australia 33-58 Serbia
Serbia are very good. You can say the Aussies have been bad but they’re playing a damned fine basketball team. Teodosic has 20 points and four assists, and the Boomers have had no equivalent contributor. Lemanis’ team have not underestimated their opposition here but neither can they match their intensity and offensive prowess.
3rd quarter (3:43 remaining) Australia 29-53 Serbia
Matthew Dellavedova wears a sweeping scar across the right side of his brow but his fighting qualities haven’t seen Australia through so far tonight and the lead has blown out to 23 points for Serbia, who pressure the Boomers ar every opportunity. The only spark is coming from Motum, who lays one up before Teodosic drains a three. The Motum commits an unsportsmanlike foul. At least he’s trying to make things happen.
3rd quarter (4:38 remaining) Australia 25-46 Serbia
Motum passes up a corner three opportunity to drive but misses with his left-handed lay-up, after which Serbia manage two with another lightning transition. Bogut succeeds with only one of his free throws and this game continues to drift away from the Boomers.
3rd quarter (5:46 remaining) Australia 24-42 Serbia
Delly falls short with the three attempt I was begging for earlier and in the scramble that follows, Baynes draws a foul with his put-away attempt and makes one. Brock Motum is into the game now, perhaps in the hope he can get his mid-range shooting going. Boy do Australia need it.
3rd quarter (6:38 remaining) Australia 23-42 Serbia
Australians have reason to love him, but geez would it kill Matthew Dellavedova to take a run at an open three here when Andrew Bogut screens off two defenders to open up the gap? Delly just pivots around on his own before round-arming a pass. Ungainly, you’d call it. With a couple of free throws Ingles trims the lead a little.
3rd quarter (7:33 remaining) Australia 19-40 Serbia
Delly scores with a runner but Markovic nails an open three soon after to re-establish the 21-point lead. One step forward, two steps back. Mills misses a three down the other end. He certainly hasn’t had a hot hand tonight.
3rd quarter (8:38 remaining) Australia 17-37 Serbia
Mills is like a spider-monkey in defence. They call that ‘active hands’, but they were more like speed-jazz hands in the face of Teodosic as the Serbian star tried to set a pick. Macvan makes a couple of free throws.
3rd quarter (9:10 remaining) Australia 17-35 Serbia
Well that’s a brighter start! Dellavedova throws up an alley-oop and Bogut puts it away with a lay-up, then Delly draws Australia’s first free throws of the game. He makes one of them but Australia win the ball straight back.
Some stats to back up what is obvious from the scoreboard
Field goal percentages: Boomers: 21% v Serbia: 39%
Rebounds: Boomers: 15 (2) v Serbia: 29 (8)
Turnovers: Boomers: 11 v Serbia: 8
That first half in a single photo
This is the story of the game so far: stifling defence from Serbia and no offensive answer from the Boomers.
What has gone wrong for the Boomers so far?
In a word, everything. They’ve shot terribly, making 6-29 from the field. That’s abominable. They’ve also had no answer for Milos Teodosic at the other end, and if the Serbian star wasn’t already on the radar of NBA teams before he certainly should be now.
The Boomers have turned the ball over regularly and lacked anything approaching composure. It’s odd. They’ve looked so mature and battle-ready throughout this tournament but it all fell apart in that first half. They look overawed by the occasion and Serbia’s defence is just suffocating. No Australian is getting a good look and those distributing the ball have been hassled into regular turnovers.
Updated
Half-time: Australia 14-35 Serbia - the Boomers are in big trouble
Nothing is dropping for the Aussies tonight and before this half is up, Mills has another three attempt roll around the rim and out again. They’re 21 points down at half-time and Serbia look unbeatable.
2nd quarter (0:21 remaining) - Australia 14-35 Serbia
This is just getting ugly for the Boomers and the first half can’t end quick enough. They’ve doubled up on turnovers as opposed to scoring shots and there’s long-range misses from Mills and Goulding as the time ticks down.
2nd quarter (1:39 remaining) - Australia 14-32 Serbia
Now Baynes takes a seat and he’s not looking happy with himself. Damian Martin is on for him as Australia go for some ‘small ball’, and Delly is back shortly thereafter. Australia’s 2-11 shooting for threes and 4-14 from two-point range. Serbia, on the other hand, are finding scoring a piece of cake. As it stands, the Boomers look like a team who’ll be playing for bronze unless they can pull off something remarkable.
2nd quarter (3:01 remaining) - Australia 14-28 Serbia
Baynes is also well off for the Aussies tonight and misses another post move hooking around onto his left. Teodosic takes a rest, which is good news for the Boomers as they’ve had no answer for him tonight. Raduljica drives past Baynes to draw a foul and nails both free throws. He’s played in the NBA too, Raduljica, and it shows.
2nd quarter (3:50 remaining) - Australia 14-26 Serbia
Kalinic makes a couple of free throws and Serbia continue to look the team to beat. The Aussies haven’t even done enough to get to the free throw line but they do score from a frenetic drive from Mills, but he misses a three soon after, as does Ingles. Oh dear, they need to make those to get back into this one. Both were good looks.
2nd quarter (5:07 remaining) - Australia 12-24 Serbia
Australia finally score on transition but that’s the only time they’re looking like it. Maybe there is hope though:
Serbia fell in a hole late against Croatia 2 days ago.
— Adam Peacock (@adampeacock3) August 19, 2016
Boomers got them right where they want them.
2nd quarter (5:30 remaining) - Australia 10-24 Serbia
Geez, Australia’s offence is just deplorable at the moment and now Ingles turns the ball over with a sloppy pass towards Baynes, who didn’t see it coming regardless. How do they get back into this game? Dellavedova is lacking his usual fire so it might have to be Patty Mills to provide the spark plug. There’s been eight turnovers from six different Boomers.
2nd quarter (6:37 remaining) - Australia 10-24 Serbia
“This is getting a little out of hand on the offensive end with the turnovers,” says Andrew Gaze, and he’s not wrong. At the other end the Boomers are being caned by Teodosic, who scores again from mid range and draws a foul too, which he makes. Australia call another time out to regroup. This game is not going to plan so far.
2nd quarter (6:49 remaining) - Australia 10-21 Serbia
The hyper-physical defence continues as Dellavedova virtually tackles Teodosic but somewhat surprisingly it’s only Australia’s third foul. Teodosic soon moves his way to nine points for the game and Macvan gets two as well.
2nd quarter (8:19 remaining) - Australia 10-16 Serbia
Ryan Broekhoff! The 25-year-old from Frankston rains down a big three from well beyond the line and that’s the perfect start for the Boomers. He was six feet out from the line, at least. Broekhoff knows this Euro-ball well and is certainly not intimidated by the fact that both sides are playing it like a game of rugby. Ingles then lays it up in transition and the Australians have the first five points as Serbia call time out.
End of the first quarter - Australia 5-16 Serbia
Oof, Anderson misses a corner three and with that we’re done in the first quarter. Australia trail by 11 points but to be honest with you, they couldn’t have played much worse on offence so the damage isn’t actually too bad. Lemanis needs to draw up a few plays though. There’s just been zero scoring threat at all.
1st quarter (0:21 remaining) - Australia 5-16 Serbia
Now a turnover from Bogut! That’s five from the Aussies and it came as they set up for another offensive move. Where’s Chris Goulding?
1st quarter (1:58 remaining) - Australia 5-14 Serbia
NBL defensive player of the year Kevin Lisch is in this team on account of that element of his CV and he comes up trumps here, drawing an offensive foul from Bogdanovic as the Serbian posts up. Australia’s offence is barely functioning right now but they’re solid on defence.
1st quarter (2:52 remaining) - Australia 5-14 Serbia
Ingles mightn’t be shooting well but his hustle leads to a turnover and the Australians are starting to work their way into the game with hard graft. Anderson misses a jump shot from the free throw line and Bogdanovic weaves his way to a lay-up at the other end.
1st quarter (4:07 remaining) - Australia 5-12 Serbia
Anderson makes his entry with an offensive foul, which isn’t ideal. Teodosic misses a three and then also a mid-range jump shot, but at the other end Serbia is happy for Joe Ingles to shoot because his range is well off. Delly tries to slow things down and finds Baynes in the post for an easy dunk.
1st quarter (5:41 remaining) - Australia 3-12 Serbia
Every Australian shot is a tough one for now but at the other end, Teodosic is finding space and shooting beautifully. Again, how is this guy not in the NBA? Lemanis has to make a move here and brings Anderson in for Bogut to increase Australia’s scoring threat.
1st quarter (6:25 remaining) - Australia 3-10 Serbia
Bang! Mills hits a corner three and the Australians are finally on the board. They needed that. The defence has been smothering from Serbia and Dellavedova is harried out of possession; he seems a little scrambled so far. He had 23 points and 13 assists the last time these teams met but he’s at sea right at the moment.
1st quarter (7:54 remaining) - Australia 0-8 Serbia
Serbia have settled well in the opening stages but it’s been very scrappy stuff from the Boomers with a turnover for Delly and a botched spin move from Baynes, so with a big dunk from Raduljica, Australian coach Andrej Lemanis calls a time out. Oof, that’s imposing from Serbia.
Updated
1st quarter (8:54 remaining) - Australia 0-2 Serbia
Andrew Bogut gets the opening tip and Dellavedova takes control for the first possession but Joe Ingles misses an open three before Kalinic opens the scoring for Serbia.
The anthems are now done and we’re only moments away from this semi-final clash. Serbia will indeed be sticking with their starting five from the Croatia game, which is not typical - eight different players have featured in the starting five throughout these Games. I guess you call that depth? Anyway, let’s do this!
OK, the broadcast is now under way and Australians are greeted by the comforting sight of the nation’s favourite uncle, Andrew Gaze, who is beaming with pride at the thought of Australia potentially claiming its first Olympic medal in the men’s division.
“We’ve got to be very physical,” says Gaze of this match-up. “I’d like to see us get out and run a bit more than we have to avoid the half-court slog.” He’s appropriately wary of this Serbian line-up. This is going to be a real slog, though that won’t scare the Aussies, who love the rough stuff.
Our likely starting fives tonight
There’s a lot of NBA experience here for the Australians but not only that, a range of genuine threats from the bench, where David Anderson provides veteran nous, Chris Goulding a constants scoring threat and plenty of hustle otherwise.
Australia: Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut
Aus bench: David Andersen, Kevin Lisch, Ryan Broekhoff, Chris Goulding, Brock Motum, Damian Martin, Cameron Bairstow (injured).
Serbia: Milos Teodosic, Stefan Markovic, Milan Macvan, Nikola Kalinic, Miroslav Raduljica
Serbia bench: Marko Simonovic, Vladimir Stimac, Nikola Jokic, Stefan Jovic, Nemanja Nedovic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Stefan Bircevic.
Preamble
Hello all and welcome to this live coverage as Australia’s Boomers move towards the uncharted territory of a potential medal in the men’s basketball. Their opponents in this semi-final are Serbia, who they beat by 15 points in the preliminary games but will doubtless prove a harder obstacle today.
If Australia has been the revelation of this basketball tournament, the Serbians are equally potent. Veteran Milos Teodosic is a star (how is he not in the NBA?) and the likes of Miroslav Raduljica, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokic go reasonably well too. They were very impressive in holding their nerve in a virtual free throw shoot-out in the final minute of the quarters against Croatia.
The Australians most of us know well for their NBA exploits - Delly, Millsy, Baynesy and, err, Boguty. They’re playing with fire and spirit in these Games but also, just whisper it...they’re actually good enough at this point to win games like this. We shall see.
Russell will be here shortly, but in the meantime, check out his appraisal of the Boomers and their remarkable rise at the Rio Games.
