Maybe slothing around their way in the first half, second-unit comebacks, or benching All-Stars for the lineup, Team USA has finally reached past the exhibition and pool games with 8-0 victory card. It has been a tough journey so far for coach Steve Kerr and players on the team. As they tread forward, they get to know about their role on the team and the job they get to do. Since the group phase is over, the basketball tournament will step into the Quarter Finals to face the winning opponents from each group.

With Dream Team 2.0 entering the second phase of their Paris Olympic gold run, let us get to know about their opponents in the quarter-finals games. Also, which teams are moving ahead from their respective groups? Well, let’s get right to that part.

Probable opponents for Team USA in the quarter-finals

Since the Serbia vs South Sudan game is over, which was the last game of the pool games, quarter-final pairings are confirmed. So, the next opponent that Team USA will face is Brazil from Group B. Achieving the historic feat, the Brazilian team has finally made it to the top four spot after 56 years. The last time they won a medal[Bronze] in the Olympics was in Japan in 1964.

Team USA is oozing confidence as they step into the quarter-finals with 3-0, while the Brazilian is coming off 1-2 in group play. So, the chances of Dream Team 2.0 moving past the quarter-final stage do not seem unfavorable. The statement relies on the faceoff history of Brazil and Team USA in basketball at the Olympics. Out of the 9 showdowns that both of the teams have at the Summer Olympics, Team USA is leading over the Brazilian team with the complete sweep.

Coming to the semi-finals and finals, Serbia is expected to be Team USA’s opponent in the Semi-Finals and Germany in the Finals on a speculative basis since it is to be decided. Further breakdowns of other nations’ clashing in the QF are discussed below.

Schedule Ahead for the Basketball Tournament at the Paris Olympics

For the Quarter Finals ahead in teams’ quest for the Olympics, the teams moving forward from Group A are Greece, Canada, and Australia. France, Brazil, and Germany are the ones moving ahead from Group B, while from Group C, Serbia and Team USA will advance ahead.

Coming to the pairings of the tournaments ahead, the following teams will face each other in Paris on August 6, 2024, for the semifinal spot.

Showdowns between other teams

Apart from Team USA, there will be six other teams who will be engaged in a fierce on-court battle to move into the semis. Let us discuss the expectations of other candidates as well.

Germany vs Greece

When we peep into the past to look at the basketball showdowns between Greece and Germany, Greece is on the top. It has won 12 out of 20 times it has faced a German basketball team. Only one of these on-court battles got to the Summer Olympics in 2008, where Greece secured victory over Germany. However, the latter is in a better position now, being the reigning FIBA World Cup champion. Coming off 3-0 group play, Germany is determined to pave its way past Greece racked 1-2 in pool games with losses against Spain and Canada.

Serbia vs Australia

The Silver medalists of the 2016 Olympics, Serbia, are coming off a 2-1 pool play with their only loss against Team USA. One of the top contenders for the gold medal after the USA, Serbia lost against the Boomers in the exhibition games on July 16 with an 84-73 scoreline. However, when it comes to Olympic clashes, Serbia won over Australia in the 2016 Olympic semi-finals, winning by a margin of 36 points. Serbia has got their elite NBA MVP Nikola Jokic determined to clinch gold from Team USA. On the other end, there are Boomers who hold experience in close encounters, making the top eight in 12 of the last 13 Olympics.

France vs Canada

The host and basketball Les Blues are 3x silver medalists in the Olympics, with their last one coming off in 2021. However, despite NBA DPOY Rudy Gobert and a prodigy like Victor Wembanyama, the French team could not get past the group games with a sweep. They lost to Germany, making their group play stat 2-1. Canada, on the other hand, is quite convinced of moving ahead with their 3-0 pool play. But the past encounters overall do not seem to side with the Canadian team, as they have only won two out of eight games against France on the international stage. The only edge they have is their last victory against France at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 by a 30-point margin. Therefore, the showdown is expected to be a close-cut match, considering the NBA-level talents like Andrew Wiggins and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander on the Canadian side.

With that being concluded, we’ll meet after the Basketball quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics to tell the tale of Team USA basketball’s on-court maneuvers. Till then keep reading the ongoing sparks of the NBA world only on Essentially Sports!

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.