South Sudan – Serbia 83:115 (20:30, 19:26, 26:27, 18:32)

Serbia has completed the first phase of the World Championship with a perfect record! In the third round of Group B, Serbia defeated South Sudan in the last game of the group.The team under the leadership of coach Svetislav Pešić will play in the next stage of the competition in the newly formed group on Friday, September 1st at 10:00against Italy, and on Sunday, September 3rd at 14:00 against the Dominican Republic.

In their third game in Manila, the Serbian national team entered with maximum focus, resulting in 30 points scored in the first ten minutes of the game. Captain Bogdanović with eight points and four assists in this period, and Nikola Jović with ten points, led the Serbian team forward. The second quarter didn’t differ much, and we had a 17-point lead at halftime.

After returning from the locker room, the Serbian national team had an internal three-point shootout, with Dobrić, Bogdanović, and Nikola Jović hitting for a “plus 29” lead before South Sudan’s timeout in the middle of the third quarter. While his teammates were hitting from outside, Nikola Milutinov continued where he left off in the first two games, establishing dominance under both baskets.

By the end of the third quarter, South Sudan had a period of more effective play and managed to reduce the deficit to 65-83.

In the final ten minutes of the game, the Serbian national team quickly put an end to the match, restoring a lead of over 20 points. Shortly after the expiration of the sixth minute of the fourth quarter, the Serbian team scored more than 100 points, and then the only question left was how many they would score by the end of the game.

 

Coach of Serbia, Svetislav Pešić:

“Excellent behavior from our team, from the first minute to the end of the game. High concentration, especially in defense during transitions. We played against a physically strong, athletic team with a clear offensive concept. This game was very interesting for us. I repeat, this is a very important game; this is the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and every victory is important. It was important for us to improve our form, and we showed concentration on the court all the time, which was very good.”

 

Bogdan Bogdanović:

“The score doesn’t tell the whole story, but this was a physically demanding game, the toughest in our group. I am happy and proud that we won. We showed character at the end. We are happy with the result, but the tournament is just beginning for us.”