Gonzaga's Filip Petrusev wins Olympic bronze medal with Serbia

Petrusev is the first Zag to earn an Olympic medal in 5x5 men’s basketball since John Stockton won gold with the U.S. in 1996

Filip Petrusev (3) and Nikola Jokic (15) helped lead Serbia to the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in nearly 30 years, a former Gonzaga men’s basketball player has earned a medal in Olympic men’s basketball.

Alongside three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Filip Petrusev and Serbia claimed the bronze at the Paris Games on Saturday with a 93-83 win over a pesky Germany squad that refused to quit until the final buzzer.

Jokic stepped up in signature fashion with a 19-point, 12-rebound and 11-assist triple-double, Vasilije Micic added 19 points while Petrusev had 11 points, as Serbia dominated the paint en route to a double-digit victory in a rematch of last year’s FIBA World Cup final.

Petrusev helped establish an interior presence for Serbia, which scored 12 of its first 18 points in the paint and made eight of its first 10 field goal attempts to lead early. The 6-foot-10 post had seven points in the first quarter, including a push shot in the final minute, despite facing foul trouble.

The Serbs mounted a 14-point lead in the second quarter thanks to a 13-2 scoring run that started late in the first, as Germany struggled against the zone defense and instead had to settle for outside shots. The Germans knocked down seven triples in the first half but shot just 3-of-12 from inside the arc, including 3-of-10 in the paint.

Meanwhile, Vasilije Micic executed Serbia’s high pick-and-roll to perfection. The 6-foot-5 guard got to his midrange spots consistently and led all scorers at the half with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor. 

Nikola Jokic hits Petrušev with the PERFECT behind the back pass for two!

The Joker is unreal.
pic.twitter.com/5nSTIUH5UZ

— Global Hoops Daily (@worldhoopsfan) August 10, 2024

The Serbs didn’t lean on the 3-point shot on Saturday like they did against the United States in the semifinals, when they drilled 15 triples and nearly pulled off the upset. Instead they made a living in the paint against Germany’s bigs, as Jokic and company continued to attack the rim without much resistance. 

On the other end, Serbia’s defense bottled up Germany’s efficient offense, which shot below 40% from the floor for a majority of the game and could never seem to find its rhythm.

Up 11 points at the break, Serbia tightened its grasp in the second half with a 10-0 scoring run that put it ahead 64-45 after a 3-pointer from Ognjen Dobric forced the Germans to regroup. Petrusev aided in the effort defensively with a big block on Franz Wagner at the rim. 

Germany managed to cut its deficit to single digits early in the fourth quarter before Bogdanovic delivered a response to keep the momentum in Serbia’s favor. Vanja Marinkovic’s 3-pointer with 3:34 left made it 93-78. The Germans had a few chances to get back into the fight late, though they couldn’t capitalize off open looks they got down the stretch. 

As Moritz Wagner’s 3-pointer missed with under a minute to go, Serbia could taste the bronze. Germany missed five of its final six field goal attempts as the Serbs cruised to the finish line with a 10-point win and its first medal in Olympic basketball since 2016.

For Petrusev, he’s the first Zag to earn a medal in 5x5 men’s basketball since John Stockton won gold with the U.S. in 1996. Petrusev started all six games for Serbia on its run to bronze and scored in double figures in three of those outings.