While it feels like LeBron James waved the US flag at the opening ceremony last night, the tournament has almost come to its business end. Team USA has had a dominant run and has certainly booked their spot in the quarter-finals. But the opponents seem to be still hanging on a thin thread, as do real poker online players. Now that Ignition Casino is out there, you may have a better chance to win big. Especially with the competition system allowing the 2 best third-placed teams from the three groups, Nikola Jokić & Co. might still have a strong chance to make it to the cut.

Before you scratch your head in confusion, let’s take a closer look at the competition system. 12 teams qualified for the men’s basketball tournament, which are further divided into three groups (A, B, and C) with four teams in each group. In the group stage, teams face the three other teams in their group in the round-robin format. The top two teams of each group will automatically qualify for the quarter-final round. But there is a twist!

Apart from the top two teams from each group, the teams that finished third will also have a chance. Out of the three groups, the two teams with better PDs (point differential) will qualify for the knockouts. As of August 2nd, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and the United States (most likely) have made their way to knockouts. While Group A & B has finalized its top two teams, Group C is yet to finalize the last spot.

With Team USA certainly sealing a spot with two dominant wins, the race for the assured second spot is between Serbia and South Sudan. Both sides lock horns today at 3 PM ET. Nikola Jokić & Co. simply has to win the game against Bright Stars to get a spot in the quarter-finals. Moreover, even if Serbia loses the game against the Eastern African side, they still have a chance to make it, as third-placed with better PD.

How can Serbia qualify even after losing to South Sudan?

In the game of basketball, the fortune favors the brave. The South Sudanese had the potential to upset Team USA in the exhibition game. So, the upcoming game could be anyone’s game. However, the interesting aspect of this game is both teams can qualify for knockouts by fulfilling a certain criterion.

First, let’s keep one thing straight. Out of Group A & B, in terms of 3rd placed teams, Brazil has better PD at -7. So, if Serbia loses the game against Serbia, it has to make sure that its PD is better than -7. Currently, Serbia has a PD of +15 which is better than South Sudan’s -6. Keeping these advantages in mind, Jokic & Co. has the liberty of losing the game with a margin of 22 points. If they lose by 22 points, the team will tie its PD with Brazil’s -7 and both teams will qualify as the 2 best third-placed teams.

On the other hand, if South Sudan loses, they can’t afford to lose it by more than 1 point. Nevertheless, everything depends on the outcome of the upcoming game.

Serbia’s starting line and predictions

Apart from the 110-84 blowout loss against Team USA, Serbia has had a promising stay in the tournament. Importantly, the European side’s centerpiece Jokic has put up impressive numbers, averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the last two games. Apart from him, the shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanović showed consistency, averaging 13.5 points. Looking at the last games, the Serbian side’s starting lineup would look like this: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Aleksa Avramović, Ognjen Dobrić, Filip Petrusev, and Nikola Jokić.

Since this is the last group stage game of the tournament, all eyes are locked in to find out the final two entrants. The South Sudanese side has stacked its roster with tall and tough players who almost defeated the overpowered US side. The team came in as an underdog into the tournament but grabbed everyone’s attention after their near win. Importantly, they became the story of the tournament.

South Sudan’s starting line: Carlik Jones, Marial Shayok, Bul Huol, Nuni Omot, and Wenyen Gabriel. Importantly, the fans should also watch out for the 17-year-old Khaman Maluach, who will come off the bench with his 7 ‘2 frame. The youngster has already got global attention after he signed a deal with Duke University. He will play alongside Cooper Flagg in the upcoming collegiate season.

On the other hand, Serbia has one of the most dominant centers in the world, The Joker. The reigning NBA MVP is not only a dominant rim protector, but he is also someone who brings out a cerebral strength dishing out consistent assists. Nevertheless, it’s too hard to predict a winner before the game, especially with two equally balanced sides like this. Who do you think will win the game? Let us know in the comments below.

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