LILLE, France Sept 20 (Reuters) - European championship host nation France beat Serbia 81-68 in the competition's third-place playoff to win the bronze medal and secure a third successive podium finish on Sunday.
Having won the 2013 tournament after finishing runners-up in 2011, the French bounced back from a painful 80-75 semi-final defeat by Spain and brushed aside the Serbians.
France moved up a gear after a 37-32 halftime lead and outscored Serbia 21-12 in the third quarter.
Their more athletic outfit dominated the paint, collecting 43 rebounds to Serbia's 29, and restricted their rivals to eight three-point goals from 31 attempts.