Health permitting, there will be a Bam Adebayo-Nikola Jovic Miami Heat rematch at the Paris Olympics in Thursday’s semifinal round. Adebayo and Team USA took care of their business with relative ease in Tuesday’s final quarterfinal, shoving past Brazil 122-87. Earlier, Jovic advanced to the semifinals in absentia Tuesday, with the Heat forward sidelined by an illness for Serbia’s overtime 95-90 quarterfinal victory over Australia.
Jovic was not on the bench Tuesday, after previously playing as a featured piece in Serbia’s rotation. Provided Jovic makes it back for Serbia’s Thursday’s 3 p.m.
Eastern semifinal against Team USA, it will be a rematch of the teams’ Olympic opener, when Adebayo and Team USA defeated Serbia and Jovic 110-84 . Unlike earlier games in the competition, when Adebayo had to help compensate for uneven play by Joel Emibiid, Embiid this time thrived against Brazil, closing with 14 points and seven rebounds in just 12:20, given the second half off. Adebayo, who started the second half in place of Embiid, finished with nine points, including a late 3-pointer from above the top of the key, and seven rebounds in 19:21.
Initially, Adebayo again played off the bench, with Team USA starting Embiid, LeBron James, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and Stephen Curry. Unlike during recent games when Adebayo and the second unit had to help overcome uneven opens by the starters, the Heat center this time entered with Team USA up 26-14. Team USA coach Steve Kerr, who is being assisted by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, again went with a platoon system.
That had Adebayo entering late in the first period along with Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Derrick White. Adebayo quickly made his presence felt with four rebounds, including a pair of offensive rebounds, in his first two minutes, as Team USA took a 33-21 lead into the second period, on the way to a 63-36 lead at halftime and 94-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. In Thursday’s other semifinal, host France will play reigning World Cup champion Germany ahead of Team USA’s semifinal.
France defeated Canada 82-73 in their Tuesday quarterfinal, with Germany defeating Greece 76–63. The bronze-medal game between Thursday’s losing teams is 5 a.m.
Eastern Saturday, with the gold-medal game between Thursday’s winning teams at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
As for Jovic, it has been an uneven summer, with his status for the Olympics initially in question after suffering an ankle sprain during a Heat workout in June at Kaseya Center. Related Articles But with Nikola Jokic going for 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, Serbia was able to overcome an early 24-point deficit and hold on against an Australia roster that got a game-high 26 points, including the shot that forced overtime, from Heat free-agent guard Patty Mills. Even in defeat, Mills, 35, made himself the story of the game against Serbia, perhaps reviving his chances for an NBA return next season.
Mills has said he plans to play again next season. Due to the Heat’s position against the punitive luxury-tax apron in the NBA’s new collective-bargaining agreement, the team currently lacks the cap space to bring Mills back on even a minimum-scale contract. Mills struggled with the Heat during last season’s playoff race after being acquired on the NBA buyout market.
In the Olympic opener between the Heat teammates, Adebayo finished with four points and two rebounds, converting a jumper over Jovic, with Jovic closing with five points and two rebounds, often defended by Adebayo. Adebayo won gold with Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Games in his lone previous Olympic appearance, with Jovic winning the silver medal last summer with Serbia at the World Cup in The Philippines..
