SERBIA vs. USA: The Battle for the World Championship Title!

In a dramatic finish in Istanbul, the 'Orlići' (Young Eagles) outplayed the host nation Turkey, securing a medal with a 76-71 victory.

In that duel, our boys showed exceptional character, not for the first time, overcoming immense pressure from a packed arena of opposing fans to deservedly earn their spot in the gold medal game.

It's clear that this brilliant generation of Serbian basketball players won't be satisfied with just reaching the final. They will give their all to take down the seemingly invincible Americans, who reached the final by demolishing Australia by a staggering 49 points (114-65).

Coach Stevan Mijović's team has played exceptionally well throughout the World Cup, aside from a loss to Australia in the tournament opener. However, it seems they'll need more than just "exceptional" to win the gold.

And it's not us saying that; it's their opponent's results. The USA U17 team has never lost a game at the World Cup.

As for this specific tournament, the Americans have been winning every game by 40-50 points. France, Japan, Italy, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, and Australia have all been on the receiving end of a blowout. The French got off the easiest... losing by "only" 31 points.

In the semifinal, Nikola Kusturica (25 points) and Matija Lukić (20 points) were the top scorers for the Young Eagles. This duo also led the team in the quarterfinal against Lithuania, establishing themselves as a reliable offensive force for this talented squad.

Kusturica and Lukić spent their club season playing in Spain—Nikola for Barcelona and Matija for Zaragoza. In addition to playing for the B teams, both were part of their senior squads, where they made history as the youngest players for their respective clubs to ever play in European competitions—the EuroLeague and the FIBA Europe Cup.

On Sunday evening, they will face Joakim Boum-Tsobgny, the spearhead of the USA U17 team and Nikola's teammate from Barcelona.

Alongside Boum-Tsobgny are Clarence Rosser Jr., Navoro Bowman Jr., Anthony Williams, and Beckham Black—all serious prospects with promising careers ahead. They typically play around 20 minutes each in managed roles with heavy rotation, as they are all capable of filling up the basket and are so dominant that there's no need to overexert anyone and risk unnecessary injury.

If our boys defeat the favored rivals in Istanbul, they will not only unify the European and World titles but also become the first national team ever to beat the USA U17s.

The clash for the title of world's best team is scheduled for Sunday at 7:15 PM in Istanbul. The broadcast for viewers in Serbia is available on the Arena Premium 4 channel.

The bronze medal game between Turkey and Australia will take place at 4:15 PM.

VIDEO: "He's a maestro!" Kusturica conquered Europe, then declared: Milutinov will do the same!