Olympics 2021 Men's Basketball: 3 Reasons why Slovenia could beat Australia in the bronze medal match
Slovenia's quest to win the gold medal in the 2021 Olympics men's basketball tournament came to an end on Thursday after their 89-90 loss to France.
Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, but France's elite defense proved too much for the Dallas Mavericks star and his teammates to handle. The Slovenians fought hard, nonetheless, cutting down France's 10-point advantage to just one point in the dying moments of the game.
However, Klemen Prepelic's layup attempt on the last possession for Slovenia was blocked by LA Clippers star Nicolas Batum, ending Doncic and co.'s hopes of facing the USA in the finals.
Slovenia will now face Australia in the bronze medal game on Saturday. The Australians blew a 15-point lead against the USA in their semi-final fixture to lose 78-97.
Slovenia's loss to France was their first of the 2021 Olympics men's basketball tournament. Prior to that, they had beaten Germany, Argentina, Spain and hosts Japan.
Slovenia were close to beating France but fell short. They will be hoping they can still end up getting a podium finish with a win against Australia. On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why the Slovenians can beat the Boomers in their bronze medal contest.
#3 Slovenia's offense has been elite
Slovenia has one of the best offensive units in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics tournament. They have scored an average of 102.4 points per game so far across five matches. Australia has a lethal defensive unit and has a size too, but the Slovenians have the potential to still outdo them if they get going offensively.
Slovenia has converted 49% of their field goals so far, which is a remarkable statistic to consider. Their ability to score from all three levels is also something that will benefit them in their game against the Australians.
Slovenia have scored 44 points per game in the paint and knocked down 13.6 three-pointers per contest so far. Slovenia's high-paced offensive play could tire out the Australians as the game goes on, which could tilt the tie in their favor.
The Americans took advantage of the same when they faced the Australians in their semi-final game on Thursday.