Nikola Jokic played a starring role as Serbia put their Olympic semifinal disappointment behind them to clinch the bronze medal with a 93-83 win over Germany. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
Basketball At Paris Olympics: Nikola Jokic Leads Serbia To Bronze With Big Win Over Germany
Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double, getting 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as Serbia beat Germany 93-83 in the Paris Olympics third-place match
Serbia's Nikola Jokic.
Serbia's Nikola Jokic.
Serbia gave up a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter against the United States on Thursday as they narrowly missed out on a place in the final, but they responded strongly to ensure they did not leave Paris empty-handed.
Jokic was dominant in that game, and he provided the spark once more on Saturday as he finished with a triple-double, getting 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Vasilije Micic matched Jokic's tally of 19, while Bogan Bogdanovic, the program's all-time leading scorer, added 16.
After a promising start to the Olympics by Germany, they have trailed off in recent matches, and they struggled to match the early pace set by Serbia as they fell 30-21 behind in the first quarter.
Though they matched Serbia evenly in the second quarter, any hopes of getting their hands on their first Olympic basketball medal soon faded in the third, with the 19-point gap proving too much for them to turn over.
Serbia claimed their first medal in the Olympic event since earning silver in Rio 2016.
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