A little over a week ago, there were some concerns, and certainly more questions than answers whether or not Team USA, still freshly put together, had what it took to convincingly capture the gold medal it went to Rio de Janeiro for. Those no longer matter. What does is the game it was expected to be in all along. 

Strangely enough, Sunday’s 1:45 p.m. gold-medal game is a rematch of the contest that posed some of those questions — a 94-91 win over Serbia on August 12.

By no means is the journey everything many anticipated, but regardless, the time is now, and Team USA has an opportunity to do exactly what it set out for.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

United States: Beat Spain, 82-76, in the semifinals on Friday

Serbia: Beat Australia, 87-61, in the semifinals on Friday

MATCHUP STRENGTH:

United States: Been there, done that. While it hasn’t been the easy, cruising road to get here everyone anticipated from the favorites, Team USA has taken care of business. Not only that, it has grinded out a win over Serbia already. Add in the fact a handful of members have a gold medal, and the experience in these moments are hard to beat.

Serbia: Nothing to lose. Honestly, that’s really it. Team USA just has more in its arsenal. However, playing with a chip on its shoulder, the underdog, and doing all it can to play spoiler, is the biggest thing Serbia has going entering the contest.

THE STARTERS (SEMIFINAL STATISTICS):

UNITED STATES:
PG: Kyrie Irving (13 points, 5 rebounds)
SG: Klay Thompson (22 points, 4 rebounds)
SF: Kevin Durant (14 points, 8 rebounds)
PF: Carmelo Anthony (7 points, 5 rebounds)
C: DeAndre Jordan (9 points, 16 rebounds)

KEY RESERVE(S): DeMarcus Cousins (2 points, 3 rebounds); Paul George (6 points, 6 rebounds)

SERBIA:
PG: Stefan Markovic (14 points, 5 assists)
SG: Milos Teodosic (22 points, 5 assists)
SF: Nikola Kalinic (6 points, 6 rebounds)
PF: Milan Macvan (12 points, 3 rebounds)
C: Miroslav Raduljica (11 points, 6 rebounds)

KEY RESERVE(S): Nikola Jokic (9 points, 11 rebounds), Bogdan Bogdanovic (6 points, 6 rebounds)

PLAYER TO WATCH:

United States: Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, the veteran on this squad playing in his final Olympics, has been quiet in the knockout rounds. This is a great game for him to get going and lead Team USA to a third-straight gold medal.

Serbia: Stefan Markovic. Markovic is a big-bodied point guard with a nice floor game. He is the engine for this team and it will be vital he play well if an upset is to occur.

PREDICTION:

There is no doubt Serbia belongs in this game. It has arguably played some of the best basketball of any team in the tournament. Serbia even gave Team USA all it could handle in its Group A showdown. But the run ends here. This is all about Team USA and it’s hard to imagine this team losing here and now, despite what the final score might look like. Coach K will go out in style.