Serbia defeats Germany for men's basketball bronze

Field Level Media|published: 08/10/2024, 9:12am EDT

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) goes to the basket against the United States in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS -- Serbia cruised to men's basketball bronze by defeating Germany 93-83 at the Olympics on Saturday.

The bronze medal is the consolation after Serbia missed a chance to play for gold when they lost by four points to a high-octane U.S. team in the final minutes of their semifinal game two days ago.

Led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia dominated early in the bronze-medal game, leading Germany by nine points after the first quarter. Although Germany narrowed that gap in the second quarter, even outscoring Serbia 17-16, the Germans were unable to quash Serbia's power in the second half.

Jokic finished with a triple double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Teammate Vasilije Micic also scored 19, while Franz Wagner led Germany with 18 points and nine rebounds.

The United States will be seeking a fifth straight Olympic title against France in the gold medal match later Saturday.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media