There were some rough moments, but it was all part of the game, in the words of coach Muta Nikolić: “It’s all normal.” Serbia defeated Greece in their first public warm-up match for EuroBasket. Svetislav Pešić’s team beat Greece 76:66, and it seems Nikola Jokić is ready for the tournament.
Of course, there were problems, but they are all solvable. Svetislav Pešić’s team looked focused when it mattered most and, more importantly, they fought off Greece’s surge at the crucial moments. There’s no need to waste words on Nikola Jokić; he’s the best in the world, and the Greeks saw that tonight. The Hellenes looked like small children next to him as he dominated the boards. Out of the 47 rebounds the Eagles grabbed, he had 19. Simply put, you can’t live with that, no matter how good you are.
The first quarter was solid for Serbia. The starting five Svetislav Pešić put on the court was a bit unusual, with Nikola Jović and Filip Petrušev playing together. Still, the Miami Heat player came out inspired, hitting two three-pointers. On the other side, Greece had a hot-handed Tyler Dorsey. Still, Nikola Jokić was in control of everything. He played like a “big man” against small children. However, the Hellenes put up a strong fight, and the score was tied 26:26 after the first 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, Serbia showed its power on offense and defense. Tristan Vukčević had a good stretch and impressed coach Pešić. Serbia took control of the match, punishing Vassilis Spanoulis‘ team’s misses and leveraging their own advantages. We handled fast breaks well and didn’t make many mistakes, leading to a 43:34 score after 20 minutes of basketball in Limassol.
The third quarter was perhaps Serbia’s weakest. Still, the Hellenes didn’t punish them for it. There were many mistakes on both sides, and a lack of caution was evident. Both teams looked like they needed more competitive games. Serbia, however, maintained its lead, and the Greeks tried to close the gap but couldn’t.
The final quarter was the best and most intense. Greece seriously threatened at one point. The “two Kostas,” Papanikolaou and Sloukas, hit three consecutive three-pointers, and then Dinos Mitoglou hit another for a three-point deficit (69:66). However, every mistake can be punished. On the very next possession, Mitoglou passed the ball directly to Bogdan Bogdanović, and then Aleksa Avramović hit the three-pointer that decided the game. After that, the Greeks completely gave up, and Serbia secured a great victory.
Nikola Jokić scored 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. A surreal performance by the best player in the world. Bogdanović followed with nine points. For Greece, Dinos Mitoglou had 18 points, while Sloukas added 11. Serbia’s next match is against Cyprus on Sunday at 4 PM.
Source: Sportal Photo: Hellenic BF