Serbia – Canada 95:86(23:15, 29:24, 23:24, 20:23)
Serbia has advanced to the finals of the World Championship in Manila! After a masterful performance in the semi-finals, our national team defeated Canada 95:86. They will compete for gold against Germany on Sunday at 14:40.
The beginning of the game was characterized by solid defense on both sides of the court, with both Serbia and Canada managing to break through with two three-pointers (Dobric and Bogdanovic for Serbia). Captain Bogdanovic set the pace for the Serbian team with eight points in the first quarter. The entry of AleksaAvramovic from the bench added an extra dose of aggression. In the last three minutes of the first quarter, Serbia managed to establish an eight-point lead.
In the second quarter, the Canadian national team started with two consecutive three-pointers, but Marko Guduric responded with five points. Both teams played aggressively on both ends, but Bogdan Bogdanovic extended Serbia’s lead to +8 in the 14th minute with a three-pointer. By halftime, the Serbian team managed to extend their lead to 52:39.
The third quarter began with several unsuccessful possessions for the Serbian team, which Canada capitalized on with two three-pointers, reducing the deficit to single digits. The rivals continued to play aggressively on both sides of the court, which brought the score to 59:52. By the end of the third quarter, the Serbian team managed to maintain a double-digit lead at 75:63.
The final quarter started with a steal and two points by Avramovic, as well as a three-pointer by Guduric. However, Canada managed to neutralize these with shots beyond the 6.75-meter line. At the halfway point of the fourth quarter, Canada came within ten points at 86:76. Then, Captain Bogdanovic took charge, scoring five consecutive points. Despite Canada’s efforts, Serbia’s strong defense and contributions from Bogdanovic and Davidovac led to a 6:0 run and a significant 95:79 lead with 2:12 left. By the end of the 40th minute, the Serbian team had complete control of the game, securing a well-deserved victory and a historic place in the World Championship final.
View the complete statistics here: https://www.fiba.basketball/sr/basketballworldcup/2023/game/0809/Srbija-Kanada#tab=boxscore
Svetislav Pesic, Head Coach :
“I’m extremely proud of everyone. A great victory, we once again played a tremendous game. For me, Canada is the best defensive team, but, you know, we’re not bad either, and we showed that today. Not only can we play defense, but also transition offense. A crucial detail in the game preparation was to take away Canada’s transition points. That was the key. We also played excellent one-on-one defense, especially on Shai, one of the best young players I’ve seen. His presence forced us to eliminate him from the game. We succeeded in doing that in a serious and proper way.”
Marco Guduric:
“The feeling is phenomenal, I’m very proud of our team. I have to mention BorisaSamanic, who is still fighting in the hospital, and this victory is dedicated to him. We hope to see him soon, and we hope he feels better knowing that the medal is here, and we made him happy. This victory means everything to us, and the final will be the biggest game in all of our careers. We can play for ourselves, our families, and all of Serbia.”