Nikola Jokic and four other Serbians score in double figures as they outgun Rui Hachimura and Akatsuki Japan in a Paris 2024 friendly in Belgrade.
Nikola Jokic and Serbia are back on track.
After getting hammered by Team USA, the Serbians rebounded with a high-scoring 119-100 win over Akatsuki Japan in a friendly at Belgrade ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Five Serbians scored in double figures, led by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic. Playing 28 minutes, the Joker was good for 18 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Filip Petrusev added 17 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 15, and Vasilije Micic accounted for 12 points and seven assists for Serbia, who will have one more exhibition against Greece.
Rui Hachimura, playing his second exhibition since returning to the national team, finished with 29 points for the Akatsuki.
Up seven at the break, Serbia broke the game open in the third quarter by outscoring Japan, 32-18.
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Story Summary:
- Nikola Jokic leads Serbia's bounce-back victory in Olympic tune-ups, scoring 18 points, as five players hit double figures.
- Serbia dominates Japan 119-100 in a high-scoring exhibition ahead of Paris 2024.
- The Serbians, bolstered by strong performances from Bogdan Bogdanovic and others, look ahead to a final warm-up game against Greece.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]