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Men's basketball: Three takeaways from Serbia vs. Puerto Rico
Nikola Jokic. Sipa Press

Men's basketball: Three takeaways from Serbia vs. Puerto Rico

Serbia bounced back from its loss to Team USA by destroying Puerto Rico 107-66 on Wednesday. The lack of high-level talent on Puerto Rico's roster was evident as it struggled to contain the talented Serbian team throughout the contest.

Here are three takeaways from the latest Olympic matchup.

1. Nikola Jokic dominated 

Jokic finished one assist away from recording a triple-double. The reigning NBA MVP controlled the tempo of the game, ensured his teammates were involved on the offensive end and knocked down the shots that fell to him.

After a stellar showing against the USA, Jokic once again reminded everyone why he's one of the most versatile and dangerous players on the planet. There was nothing Puerto Rico could do to contain him or slow him down.

2. Balanced scoring gives Serbia a genuine edge

Serbia had six players score in double digits. Vanja Marinkovic was the only member of the starting rotation to not crack the 10-point mark, ending the game with four points to his name. With such a balanced offense, Puerto Rico struggled to contain Serbia's attack. The Jokic-led team has a plethora of scoring options, making a defensive plan hard to coordinate. 

Despite the loss to the United States, Serbia has already proven capable of competing with an elite roster such as the USA. It should have no fear as it moves deeper into the tournament.

3. Serbia is a top-5 team in the competition 

Currently, the top-five men's basketball teams in the Olympics project to be the USA, Canada, Germany, Serbia and France. Any of those rosters could emerge with a gold medal at the end of the tournament. Serbia is proving its more than capable of going head-to-head with any other country's best players. 

Of course, having Jokic quarterbacking your roster will always ensure you're putting out a competitive unit. 

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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