MANILA, Philippines — No Nikola Jokic, no drawback. Even with its finest participant sitting out this summer season, Serbia goes to play for gold on the Fiba World Cup.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 23 factors and Serbia defeated Canada 95-86 within the World Cup semifinals on Friday. Ognjen Dobric and Nikola Milutinov every scored 16 for Serbia, the best-shooting crew to this point within the event — making 55% of its pictures coming into the day, then connecting on 62% to finish Canada’s hopes of gold.

Serbia (6-1) is within the World Cup closing for the second time within the final three tournaments. It misplaced to Staff USA within the 2014 closing, and can face both the People or Germany on Sunday evening within the title sport in Manila.

RJ Barrett scored 23 for Canada (5-2), which was bidding to make the World Cup closing for the primary time. It’ll face the Germany-U.S. loser for the bronze on Sunday, when the Canadians will strive for his or her most important worldwide medal since successful silver on the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Dillon Brooks scored 16 for Canada and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completed with 15 — 10 under his event common coming into the day.

 

Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov dunks towards Canada within the Fiba World Cup semifinal. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web

Jokic determined to not play this summer season after main the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship again in June, giving himself time to relaxation earlier than the looming title protection. Serbia moved on, after which needed to regroup once more on this event after the shock of shedding reserve ahead Borisa Simanic after he wound up needing a kidney eliminated after getting elbowed in a sport towards South Sudan.

Come Sunday, they’ll have a medal anyway. Gold or silver, that’s the one query.

Canada began the event with an emphatic 95-65 win over reigning Olympic silver medalist France, and had the second-lowest odds — behind the U.S. — of successful gold. But it surely obtained right into a slew of foul hassle early Friday, which saved the protection from getting on observe, which in flip saved the offense from getting simple baskets.

And Serbia feasted off all of that. Serbia’s lead was 52-39 on the break, and Canada was fuming over the foul state of affairs.

It was known as for 17 fouls — together with a technical late within the half on coach Jordi Fernandez — within the first 20 minutes in comparison with 11 for Serbia, and all 5 of its starters had at the least two fouls by the break. Gilgeous-Alexander obtained his second foul with 3:27 left within the first; Serbia responded with a 9-0 run and saved the lead for the remainder of the half.

Serbia led by 15 late within the half. That was the largest deficit Canada had confronted but on this event; it confronted 12-point deficits towards Latvia and Spain, rallying to win each occasions.