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Miroslav Raduljica's crazy tip-in helps Serbia to wild win vs France, chance for FIBA gold (Video)
Close games can often be decided by the smallest of plays and actions, from a fortuitous bounce in the fight for a loose ball to a shot rimming out when it looked halfway through the net. In Friday's FIBA World Cup of Basketball semifinal between Serbia and France, one lucky carom off the hand of big man Miroslav Raduljica ended up giving one side a chance to play for the gold medal.
With roughly 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter and Serbia up 63-57 in the midst of a France run, Bogdan Bogdanovic fired a one-handed pass towards Raduljica in the paint. It wasn't particularly accurate, so the 7-0 center raised his right hand in a searching attempt to gain control of the ball. Instead, it ricocheted off his hand, off the glass, and through the hoop for two big points. Take a look:
It could be argued that this lucky moment proved the difference in the game. While Serbia went on to win 90-85, France was within one possession late and looked on the verge of a shocking comeback. Down as many as 18 points in the game, France scored 39 points in the fourth quarter and might have pulled out the win if not for Raduljica's moment of luck and some strong offensive execution from Serbia in the final minutes. Perhaps the 26-year-old, who played 48 games last season for the woeful Milwaukee Bucks and looks suspiciously like former BDL editor and current TV personality Trey Kerby, should thank some sort of higher power.
Raduljica's basket was the single most unbelievable play of the game, but it was a contest that deserves further discussion. Serbia jumped out to an early advantage, with star guard Milos Teodosic (24 points on 9-of-12 shooting) looking like a player who could give Team USA (or anyone) fits. Yet France did not go down easily — Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers scored a game-high 35 points (including 8-of-12 from deep). The fourth quarter was merely the most exciting period of the entire tournament. Serbia held on, but both teams showed they deserved to be fighting for a spot in the final, even if few expected them to be there when the World Cup began.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
