Another day, four more games across the men's and women's Olympic basketball competitions.
The men finished their second games of pool play, with the United States and Nikola Jokic-led Serbia getting wins in Group C. On the women's side, the Group A participants began their second set of games.
Follow along for a breakdown of all the day's action from Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
Men's Group C: Serbia 107, Puerto Rico 66
After a 26-point loss to the United States on Sunday, Nikola Jokic and Serbia charged back with a commanding win over Jose Alvarado and Puerto Rico on Wednesday, 107-66.
Jokic was one assist away from an Olympic triple-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Filip Petrusev had 15 points on 7-9 shooting — including 10 points in the first quarter — and nine rebounds.
Serbia sliced up Puerto Rico early and often with the pick and roll, and even with a 17-point lead at the half, it never let off the gas. Point differential is a tiebreaker for third-place teams in each group-play pod, and Serbia had a lot of ground to make up after Sunday’s loss to the U.S.
Christopher Ortiz led Puerto Rico’s effort with 19 points, including four 3-pointers.
Group C competition wraps up on Saturday, Aug. 3, with Puerto Rico taking on the United States and Serbia facing South Sudan.
Women's Group A: Spain 63, Puerto Rico 62
Spain's women's team has taken just about the most dramatically improbable path to 2-0.
Against China in its opener, La Roja trailed by five with less than 30 seconds remaining only to somehow rally and win in overtime. On Wednesday against Puerto Rico, the script was nearly reversed: This time it was Spain blowing a lead, watching a 14-point halftime cushion evaporate over the course of a disastrous third quarter.
Spain scored just five points in the period, and trailed by four with under four minutes to go in the fourth. That set up a barnburner of a finish: Mariona Ortiz hit multiple big shots down the stretch to put the Spanish back in front, only for Puerto Rico's Mya Hollingshed to hit a midrange jumper to give Puerto Rico the lead with 10 seconds left. PR defended the final possession well, but Laura Gil drew a foul under the basket with just 1.9 seconds remaining and knocked down the game-winning free throws.
Former Iowa star Megan Gustafson was once again a force for Spain down low, scoring a game-high 18 points with 13 rebounds. Arella Guirantes led Puerto Rico with 15.
Spain now sits atop Group A and in great position to advance, while for Puerto Rico, it's the second time in as many games that a first-ever Olympic win has fallen agonizingly out of reach. Both teams will be back in action on Saturday, Aug. 3, with Spain taking on Serbia and Puerto Rico taking on China.
Women's Group A: Serbia 81, China 59
Spain's game against Serbia on Saturday will be for the top spot in Group A after the Serbs rolled past China to move to 2-0 in Paris.
The Serbian offense was a well-oiled machine, a blur of screens and cuts and off-ball movement that consistently created clean looks. Point guard Yvonne Anderson was a pest all game, leading her team in both points (15) and assists (6), and Serbia shot a blistering 7-of-11 from deep.
Serbia led by six at the break, then put the clamps on China defensively in the second half, allowing just 20 points and holding the Chinese to 25% shooting (7-for-28).
Spain and Serbia will meet on Saturday, Aug. 3, with the winner taking Group A, while China and Puerto Rico will each be looking for its first win of the competition and a shot at advancing to the knockout rounds as a third-place team.
Men's Group C: U.S. 103, South Sudan 86
The U.S. offense stayed white hot in its second game of the Paris Olympics, once again cracking the century mark and shooting better than 50% from the field to roll past South Sudan. The American bench busted this game open early in the second quarter, building a 19-point lead that the Bright Stars would never seriously threaten. Bam Adebayo led the U.S. with 18 points, and Team USA had 27 assists on 39 made baskets.