Jokic continues dominance of Wemby as Serbia edges France in exhibition thriller

Despite a late-game collapse that turned a comfortable lead into a nail-biter, a Nikola Jokic-powered Serbia beat France 90-87 in an exhibition Thursday at a packed Belgrade Arena.

The No. 3 ranked team in the FIBA world rankings topped No. 4 France thanks to Jokic’s near triple-double: 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in just 29 minutes of action. While the game didn’t count for anything but pride, there was plenty of that on the line for two squads that captured bronze and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The two teams never actually met in that tournament — both lost to Team USA in heartbreaking fashion — making Thursday’s exhibition the first head-to-head clash since a pre-Olympics friendly in July 2024.

It was also the debut for France under newly-named captain Victor Wembanyama, giving both sides extra motivation to bring it.

And bring it they did.

Jokic looked a bit rusty early, with Wemby bothering him as the 7-foot-3 Defensive Player of the Year tends to do. But as he’s done time and again in their NBA matchups, the three-time MVP found his rhythm and went to work. By the end of three quarters, Jokic had 18 of his 20 points and Serbia held a double-digit cushion.

Then came the fourth quarter. Serbia went cold. France clawed back behind lesser known guys who forced turnovers and got out in transition. Jokic managed just two points in the final frame, and suddenly a blowout was a one-possession game. He missed a floater over Wemby that could have sealed it. Then Wembanyama launched a step-back three to tie — no good. Serbia finished it off at the free throw line, surviving 21 turnovers of their own to escape with the win.

Were you expecting anything else? 🤷

Joker delivers with 20 PTS, 9 REB and 8 AST, as Serbia 🇷🇸 pick up the W in the first of their two matchups against Wemby and France 🇫🇷

📺 Watch LIVE as two teams match up again on August 23, Sunday: https://t.co/Hbj80LKqoi#FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/QmUYg337IM

— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 20, 2026

Wembanyama’s line was far less impressive: 10 points on 1-of-6 shooting from deep, four rebounds and six turnovers in 24 minutes. It’s a familiar story when the Alien goes up against the Joker. The Nuggets star is 5-2 against Wemby and the Spurs in the NBA. In those seven meetings, Big Honey has averaged 37.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals. As of now, Jokic simply has Wembanyama’s number, no matter the jersey. Not even the switching of four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert slowed Jokic down in the middle portion of the game.

Nikola Militunov’s 15 points on sharp mid-range shooting gave Serbia a crucial secondary scorer, while Aleksa Avramovic provided the defensive energy that kept France at bay for three quarters. For France, Amine Noua was the bright spot with 14 points off the bench. Gobert struggled early but settled in by halftime.

It’s just an exhibition, sure. But anytime Jokic and Wembanyama meet, the best player in the world belt is on the line. On Thursday, Jokic took it home.

What’s next: Serbia and France run it back Sunday in Orleans. Then the real stuff resumes — Serbia hosts No. 44 Iceland on Friday, August 28 before traveling to face No. 15 Italy on Monday, August 31 both in FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

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