By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
PARIS, FRANCE – After a semifinal to remember against the USA, the Serbs didn’t want to finish the Paris Olympics without a medal.
Plus, they were facing the World Champions Germans who beat them in the final of the FIBA World Cup last September.
So the stakes were high, Nikola Jokic and Vasilje Micic who were absent in Manila, played in Paris and the result was an easy 93-83 win.
Counting Yugoslavia’s results, this is the second bronze for the Serbs, after 1984, while they have also won four silvers (1968, 1976, 1988, 1996, 2016) and one gold (1980).
Nikola Jokic recorded the 5th ever triple-double in the history of the Olympic Games with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Micic was also the top scorer of the Serbs with 19 points, while Βogdan Bogdanovic added 16. Aleksa Abramovic added 13 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Franz Wagner went close to a double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds for the losing side, while his brother Mo Wagner added 16 points.
A good start for the Serbs
The Serbs got the lead from the start of the game, finishing the first quarter up by nine (30-21) and stretching their advantage to 14 points (37-23) after two made free throws by Jokic.
The Germans tried to react and made it an eight-point game (43-35) but couldn’t get any closer, losing three consecutive shots and closing the first half trailing 46-38.
Micic with 12 points was the top scorer of the Serbs, while Jokic already had 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
Keeping the distance
Filip Petrusev opened the second half by scoring four straight points and pushing the Serbian lead back to 12 (50-38), he then blocked Franz Wagner and Jokic made it a 14-point game again (52-38).
Germany reacted with a 7-2 run (54-45) but Aleksa Avramovic with five quick points restored the order (59-45).
A three by Ognen Dubric gave Serbia a 19-point advantage (64-45), still, the Germans tried to react and trimmed the lead to nine points (72-64) at the end of the third quarter.
In the final ten minutes of the encounter, Serbia managed to create even more separation and keep distance from the World Champions.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA Basketball