Olympic Men’s Basketball Report: Jokic’s Triple-double, S. Wagner + Serbia Defeats Germany to Claim Olympic Bronze Medal

Game Report

On August 10, the Paris Olympics men’s basketball bronze medal match saw a clash between the German and Serbian national teams.

In the first quarter, Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer right from the start, Obst quickly responded with a long-range shot, Serbia started hot, hitting all four of their first attempts, leading 9-3 with a strong start. Schroder broke through for a layup, drawing a foul and making both free throws to stop the bleeding, Germany’s offense showed some improvement, and the scores alternated. Jokic delivered an excellent assist, Serbia once led by 8 points, Schroder hit two consecutive three-pointers to keep up, Serbia maintained a high shooting percentage, scoring rapidly. Jokic scored against Big Wagner, Serbia led 26-21. Jokic dished out 6 assists in the first quarter, Serbia led 30-21 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, S. Wagner scored first with a free throw. Two minutes into the quarter, Micic made a jump shot to break Serbia’s scoring drought. Germany’s offensive efficiency was also not high, Bogdanovic completed a three-point play on a putback, Serbia led by 12 points. Germany brought back its starting lineup, Tille scored 5 straight points to stop the bleeding. The scores then alternated, the point difference hovering around 10 points. Maljkovic made both free throws, Serbia led 43-33. Bogdanovic picked up his third personal foul early, Germany took the opportunity to catch up, Obst hit a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to 8 points. Jokic missed a buzzer-beating three-pointer, Serbia led 46-38 at halftime.

At the start of the third quarter, Jokic delivered a brilliant behind-the-back pass to assist Petrushev for a layup to score first. Germany missed several consecutive shots, Jokic scored in a strong attack, Serbia went on a 6-0 run, extending the lead to 14 points. After two and a half minutes, Ties finally scored under the basket to break Germany’s scoring drought. Serbia continued its fierce offensive momentum, Avramovic scored 5 straight points, forcing a timeout from Germany. After the timeout, Germany made two consecutive turnovers, Dobric hit a three-pointer, the point difference suddenly reached 19 points. Germany’s second timeout finally worked, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to stop the decline. Bonga hit another three-pointer, reducing the deficit to 10 points. Micic hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, Germany kept close, Serbia led 72-63 at the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter, Jokic scored first with a bank shot under the basket, Big Wagner responded with a basket, Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer over defense, S. Wagner scored under the basket, Germany kept close. Schroder returned to the court, Jokic and Big Wagner traded three-pointers, Schroder made a jump shot, Big Wagner scored under the basket, Germany reduced the deficit to 8 points. Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, followed by a fast-break score, Serbia led 87-74. In the latter part of the fourth quarter, Serbia steadily maintained its lead under Jokic’s leadership, the point difference hovered around 10 points, as time ran out, the game lost suspense.

Ultimately, Serbia defeated Germany 93-83, claiming the bronze medal in this Olympic men’s basketball tournament.

Team Statistics:

Germany: Wagner 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals; Wagner 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist; Schroder 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists; Tille 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist; Obst 9 points, 1 rebound; Bonga 6 points, 1 rebound; Bauermann 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal; Vogtmann 3 points, 3 rebounds; Ties 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal;

Serbia: Jokic 19 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal; Micic 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists; Bogdanovic 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; Avramovic 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals; Petrushev 11 points, 2 rebounds; Maljkovic 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Dobric 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal; Milutinovic 2 rebounds; Jovic 1 rebound;

Player Lineups

Serbia Starters: Avramovic, Bogda, Dobric, Jokic, Petrushev

Germany Starters: Obst, Schroder, Ties, Vogtmann, S. Wagner