SERBIA clinched a spot in the final of the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup after beating Canada, 95-86, on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Bogdan Bogdanovic spearheaded the Serbians in spoiling the run of a Canadian team built around seven NBA players which was expected to challenge Team USA’s bid for the World Cup title.
Instead, it is Serbia, a team that didn’t have its biggest name in reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the roster, which goes through and will play either the United States or Germany in the championship game on Sunday.
Serbia returns to the final after finishing second toTeam USA in the 2014 edition in Spain.
Canada will now play in the third-place game against the loser of the USA-Germany clash.
Bogdanovic finished with 23 points and shot 8-of-12 from the field. His third and final three of the game that came in the final four-minute mark hiked Serbia’s lead to 91-76.
Nikola Milutinov had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while also helping Serbia build a 52-39 lead at the half.
RJ Barrett had 23 points, while Dillon Brooks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 16 and 15 apiece for Canada, which was saddled with foul trouble in the game.
The scores:
Serbia (95) - Bogdanovic 23, Milutinov 16, Dobric 16, Guduric 12, Avramovic 10, N. Jovic 8, Marinkovic 4, Davidovac 4, S. Jovic 2, Petrusev 0, Ristic DNP, Simanic DNP.
Canada (86) - Barrett 23, Brooks 16, Gilgeous-Alexander 15, Alexander-Walker 10, Olynyk 9, Powell 5, Edey 5, Dort 3, Bell-Haynes 0, Ejim 0, Alexander 0, Scrubb 0.
Quarterscores: 23-15; 52-39; 75-63; 95-86.
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