MANILA, PHILLIPINES (AP) – No Nikola Jokic, no problem. Even with its best player sitting out this summer, Serbia is going to play for gold at the Basketball World Cup.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Serbia defeated Canada 95-86 in the World Cup semifinals yesterday. Ognjen Dobric and Nikola Milutinov each scored 16 for Serbia, the best-shooting team so far in the tournament – making 55 per cent of its shots coming into the day, then connecting on 62 per cent to end Canada’s hopes of gold. Serbia (6-1) is in the World Cup final for the second time in the last three tournaments. They lost to the United States in the 2014 final.
RJ Barrett scored 23 points for Canada (5-2), which was bidding to make the World Cup final for the first time. Dillon Brooks scored 16 for Canada and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points below his tournament average entering the day.
Jokic decided not to play this summer after leading the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship back in June, giving himself time to rest before the looming title defence. Serbia moved on, and then had to regroup again in this tournament after losing reserve forward Borisa Simanic after he wound up needing a kidney removed after getting elbowed in a game against South Sudan.
Tomorrow, they’ll have a medal anyway. Gold or silver, that’s the only question.
