Skip to main content

Serbia beats Venezuela 86-62 in Olympic men's basketball

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points and Serbia got its first Olympic basketball victory as an independent nation, beating Venezuela 86-62 on Saturday night.

Miroslav Raduljica added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Serbia, part of an international basketball power in the old Yugoslavia but absent from the Olympics since 2004, when it competed as Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia became an independent country two years later.

The Serbians won a silver medal two years ago in the Basketball World Cup, but didn't qualify for the Olympics until winning a qualifying tournament it hosted last month.

Jose Vargas and Gregory Echenique each had 12 points for Venezuela, the surprise winner of last summer's FIBA Americas championship to reach the Olympics for the first time since 1992. After a solid start, the Venezuelans managed just nine points in the second quarter.

Venezuela plays the U.S. next on Monday.

© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.