Serbia head coach Svetislav Pesic was disappointed after the loss to Team USA in the semi-final of the Olympic Basketball Tournament, but had nothing but high praise for his players and the way they performed on the floor.
Coach Pesic said he was not ‘angry’, but ‘proud’ of his players, who came a step away from returning to the Final of the Olympics for the first time since 2016.
“Of course I’m proud of how we played, especially after the game against Australia, where we came back from -24, but that costs us a lot of strength. But you saw how tough mentally we were, we made it all the way until the end and one ball or two balls decided the game. In Serbia, we usually say, those who lose have the right to be angry. I’m not angry at all, I’m proud of everything we’ve done,” Svetislav Pesic told media afterwards, via FIBA.com.
Serbia was unstoppable for three quarters and led by as many as 17 points in the contest. Still, Team USA, led by Stephen Curry, who had 36 points and nine three-pointers, came back and outscored their opponents 32-15 in the fourth to win the game (95-91) and advance to the Final, where they will take on France.
As for Serbia, they will play for the third place and the bronze medal against the reigning World Champions Germany in a rematch of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Final.
