Serbia vs. France FIBA World Cup: Game Grades, Analysis for Orlovi vs. Les Bleus
Serbia jumped out to an early lead, but finished with just a five-point victory over France after a late push led by NBA star Nicolas Batum.
Defeating France 90-85, Serbia will advance to the FIBA World Cup Finals against the United States.
Offensively, Serbia was dominant out of the gate. Fluid ball movement and stellar production from star Milos Teodosic set the tone, as the well-rounded squad beat up on a French team that recently squeaked by gold-medal contender Spain for a spot in the semifinals.
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Despite an 18-point lead prior to halftime, Serbia was forced to survive a late scare, as France drew within one in the game's final minute.
In the end, their 57 percent shooting was too much, as they finished as the better team after 40 hard-fought minutes.
Player Grades
Serbia
Milos Teodosic: A
Stefan Markovic: B+
Miroslav Raduljica: B
Bogdan Bogdanovic: B+
Rest of Team: B
France
Boris Diaw: B
Thomas Heurtel: C
Nicolas Batum: A
Rudy Gobert: C+
Rest of Team: C
Serbia Grades
Milos Teodosic: A
What can be said that won’t be rehashed continuously as Serbia prepares for its gold-medal matchup against the United States? Serbia boasts one of the tournament’s most dynamic offenses, and it was on display in all its brilliance against France, thanks in no small part to point guard Milos Teodosic.
Teodosic emerged as an offensive threat early, and continued to attack France from every direction as the game progressed. Tallying 24 points on 75 percent shooting—including five of seven from deep—Teodosic was as efficient as he was prolific. He added four assists, serving as a playmaker as well as the team’s go-to scorer.
A few defensive lapses are the only knocks on his play, but as a whole it was a standout performance from Serbia’s standout star.
Stefan Markovic: B+
Serbia’s decision to roll out a dual-point guard set paid off, as Stefan Markovic—though Teodosic’s backcourt sidekick—enjoyed a respectable game of his own.
Providing the team with an additional scoring punch, the 6’5’’ guard contributed 11 points on five of nine shooting. He was also instrumental in the passing game—posting a team-high five assists—adding to the high-tempo ball movement that opened up so many opportunities.
Certainly less flashy than his partner in the guard corps, Markovic was solid in his own right, utilizing his versatility to make a two-way impact before he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
Miroslav Raduljica: B
It didn’t take long for Serbia to establish its pick-and-roll attack as the backbone of the team’s playbook. Teodosic led the way, while former Milwaukee Bucks big man Miroslav Raduljica served as his partner in the post.
He thrived, benefitting from France’s tendency to focus on Teodosic, scoring 11 of his own.
He definitely missed more opportunities than his teammates, but as their leader in the post throughout the tone-setting first half, Raduljica’s impact cannot be ignored.
Bogdan Bogdanovic: B+
The man with the greatest name in the tournament had his big moments against France, contributing 13 points on 80 percent shooting, including a crucial three that quieted a late run by the opposition.
However, he didn’t receive enough opportunities to make too large an impact. Taking advantage of what he was given, Bogdanovic deserves mention helping Serbia survive a France’s run and Markovic’s fouling out.
He drove ferociously down the stretch and made an impact despite limited opportunities.
Rest of Team: B
Serbia was much more balanced than their French counterparts, finding scoring from numerous angles throughout the contest. Starter Nemanja Bjelica finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists despite inefficient shooting, while fellow forward Nikola Kalinic added eight points.
Nenad Krstic also had a few notable plays in the second half, dominating from the post en route to 11 points of his own.
The team looked in sync, and while they definitely benefitted from superstar play from Teodosic, it was a balanced attack that ultimately earned them the victory.
France Grades
Boris Diaw: B
Boris Diaw wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. He contributed in every facet of the game—just as he always does—finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
That said, France needed more, especially in the first half when it fell behind early.
Diaw did play a role in his squad’s late comeback, but despite a solid performance, more was necessary for France to secure the victory.
Thomas Heurtel: C
Against Spain, Thomas Heurtel played a massive role in helping his team secure the upset victory down the stretch.
Friday, he looked like a completely different player. Offensively, he failed to set the tone for his squad, leading an attack that featured awkward floor spacing and sloppy mistakes.
It was at the other end, though, where he struggled the most. Teodosic took advantage of Heurtel’s poor defensive play, dominating the French point guard in the post, the perimeter and everywhere in between.
Granted, Heurtel did tally 12 points (just 3-9 shooting, though) and six assists and looked sharp on several possessions—especially in the final two minutes—but he certainly fell short of expectations after memorable play in the quarterfinals.
Nicolas Batum: A
Nicolas Batum was France’s saving grace, preventing them from complete embarrassment even if he couldn’t squeak out a win.
After a less-than-stellar performance in France’s victory over Spain, Batum established himself as the only Frenchman capable of consistently executing on the offensive end. Finishing with 35, he benefitted from the team’s tendency to fall into isolation. A knockdown shooter, Batum came alive in the second half and made Serbia pay whenever the ball entered his hands, completing eight of his 12 attempts from deep.
It was on his back that Les Bleus made their last-period push, adding 17 fourth quarter points and cutting a vast lead to just one point.
He also thrived defensively, playing respectable defense on Serbia’s wings and setting up transition opportunities.
In the end, it wasn’t enough—but little blame, if any, can fall on Batum after a fantastic outing from his end.
Rudy Gobert: C+
Rudy Gobert has established himself as one of France’s most exciting young players.
He has also shown incredible inconsistency and skills that need significant polishing. A similar narrative played out against Serbia, but overall he failed to materialize as a reliable asset capable of making big plays down the stretch.
Rest of Team: C
It was really all-Batum for France, and anybody else who made a significant impact has already been named.
Evan Fournier added 10 points off the bench, but as a whole the second unit and role players struggled out of the gate and failed to recover.
Big man Joffrey Lauvergne was noticeable absent, riding the bench after a rough start.
As a whole, the team shot just 46 percent, and put together a remarkably weak first-half attack allowing Serbia to jump out to the early lead.
What's Next?
Serbia advances to the gold medal game, where they'll face FIBA juggernaut, Team USA on Sunday. France will draw Lithuania in the third-place contest on Saturday.
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