The three-time NBA MVP led Serbia as they held on for a 79-67 win over France in an exhibition contest in Lyon on Friday.

In Serbia’s first public warm-up game ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Nikola Jokic’s squad took on the hosting nation. In a match full of NBA players, it was Jokic who took over, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting while snagging 12 rebounds.

Serbia dominated most of the game but the score remained close as Serbia struggled from the line, hitting just 12 of their 23 free throws. All whistles seemed to be bad news for Serbia, as Jokic fouled out with a few minutes to go when Victor Wembanyama fouled out. But Serbia, who struggled all game without Jokic on the floor, hit a few big threes to hang on for the win.

It was the fourth warm-up game for France, who looked very rough while it was just the first for Serbia, who looked very organized. Jokic’s team came out a lot stronger and he did most of his work in the first half, collecting 17 points and nine rebounds before the break. While it was Joker’s defense that stole the show, holding the home team to just four points in the paint in the first period.

Wembanyama had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the contest but was a -18 to Jokic’s +12. Bogdan Bogdanovic was big for Serbia and was more of a factor than Rudy Gobert, who was in foul trouble most of the game.

It was great to see Jokic hit a deep ball on a step back, his three-point shooting numbers dipped a bit last season.

But it was far from Jokic’s lone highlight as the second quarter was littered with Nikola. He had a slick post-spin into a running hook for an AND-1 finish over both Wembanyama, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his rookie season, and Gobert, who won the award.

A minute later Jokic had another AND-1 over Wemby, scoring on an up-and-under with a reverse finish.

Serbia has two more friendlies ahead of the Olympics, and one against an even tougher foe. The fourth-ranked Serbia beat the ninth-ranked French, and they’ll take on the No. 1 Americans as part of a set of games in the Middle East. On July 17 it’s Australia against Serbia then on July 18 it’s LeBron James and Jokic going toe-to-toe. That second game might not tell much given Serbia and the Americans will open the Olympics with a contest against each other on July 28.

There will be additional Nuggets summer action later on Friday and into the weekend, following games by Jokic on Friday afternoon and Jamal Murray on Wednesday night. Denver’s Summer League team begins play in Vegas, where youngster DaRon Holmes II and second-year players Jalen Pickett, Hunter Tyson, and Julian Strawther will be the main focus instead of the Nuggets stars. The four are vying for parts and rotation places for the upcoming season.