Everything on the line for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray at Olympics Tuesday

Tuesday marks the beginning of the quarterfinals in the Olympic basketball tournament with all eight remaining teams in action. Group play ended on Sunday, and four of the 12 teams were sent home. That leaves eight countries to vie for medals in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament.

The two most impressive teams in the group stage were the reigning Olympic champions, the United States, and the reigning FIBA World Cup champions, Germany. But right behind them were Team Canada, starring Jamal Murray, and Team Serbia, starring Nikola Jokic.

The two stars of the Denver Nuggets have had pretty different tournaments so far; Jokic has been an unstoppable force, consistently willing his entire team to play better. Murray on the other hand has been less than stellar, struggling to fit in and unable to find a rhythm.

But still, both teams find themselves in the same spot with the same stakes going forward. Serbia will be up first as they take on Team Australia at 6:30 MDT for a place in the semifinals. If they advance, they would face either the United States or Brazil.

Team Canada will be up next at 10 AM MDT when they face off against the host country, Team France. If Canada advances they will face off against either Germany or Greece for a trip to the Gold Medal match.

How Serbia matches up with Australia

The Serbians and Jokic will have their work cut out for them. The Aussies boast several players with NBA experience, but their strength is in their guard play. If they have a weakness it’s down low. Serbia will have to play through Jokic even more than usual and they’ll be counting on him to control the paint on both ends.

How Canada matches up with France

It’s basically the opposite story for the Canadians as the French team boasts a massive threat with big men Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. They’ve struggled in this tournament with their lack of guard play and that’s where Canada can take advantage. The home crowd should be out in full force and ready to make an impact as well.