UNCONTESTED. Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov scores an easy basket during their semifinal match against Canada at the FIBA Basketball World Cup at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday (Sept. 8, 2023). Serbia won, 95-86, to claim the first finals berth. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)
MANILA – Serbia stunned a Canada team loaded with seven National Basketball Association (NBA) players, 95-86, to book the first finals seat in the FIBA World Cup at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday night.
USA and Germany are disputing the other finals berth as of posting time. The title match will be on Sunday at 8:40 p.m.
The defense set the tone early for Serbia as it held Canada to just 15 points in the first quarter while opening a 52-39 cushion at halftime.
Canada tried to keep in step in the second half but Serbia sustained the flow en route to the win.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long range, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.
"If we thought that we had the best game against Lithuania, tonight was our best game so far in the tournament," Bogdanovic said, referring to their 87-68 quarterfinal win on Tuesday.
He now holds the record for the most career threes made in the FIBA World Cup in the past 30 years with 69 and counting.
"I didn't come every year to say, 'I'm gonna break this record,' but I'm happy that I achieved that too," he added.
Nikola Milutinov and Ognjen Dobric each added 16 points, with Milutinov going 6-for-6 from the field.
Nikola Jovic was also perfect from the field with a 4-of-4 clip for eight points along with one rebound and one assist.
RJ Barrett put up 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal to lead Canada, which will play in the bronze medal game also on Sunday night.
Aside from Barrett of the New York Knicks, the six other NBA players in the Canada roster are Utah Jazz’s Kelly Olynyk, Minnessota Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Houston Rockets’ Dillon Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Luguentz Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dallas Mavericks’ Dwight Powell.
Serbia’s active NBA players are Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdanovic, Miami Heat’s Jovic and Oklahoma City’s Aleksej Pokusevski.
On Saturday at 4:45 p.m., Italy and Slovenia will play for seventh place at 4:45 p.m., followed by the battle for fifth at 8:30 p.m. between Latvia and Lithuania. (PNA)
