In a thrilling match in Manila, Serbia defeated Canada 95-86 to secure their place in the FIBA Basketball World Cup final.
The Serbian team’s dominance in the paint and control of the boards proved to be the decisive factor in the game.
Five Serbian players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, led the charge with 23 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
The team’s defence was on point, forcing Canada into turnovers and limiting their score to just 15 points in the first quarter.
Serbia entered the break with a comfortable lead of 52-39 and maintained their momentum throughout the game.
READ ALSO: https://thecrux.org.ng/international-friendlies-germany-vs-japan-team-news/
Serbian centre Nikola Milutinov, who scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, revealed that their strategy was to set the tempo early on and make the first punch.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada’s leading scorer, passer, and rebounder, was held scoreless in the first 15 minutes due to Serbia’s tight defence and foul trouble.
He ended the game with 15 points, two rebounds, and nine assists, nowhere near his tournament average of 25 points per game.
Serbia’s sixth-ranked team had a 33-22 rebounding advantage and scored 46 points in the shaded lane.
The team had lost to the United States in the final of the 2014 edition of the tournament in Madrid, Spain, but this time they are determined to go all the way.
The United States will play Germany in the other slot of the final.
The tournament will end with the crowning of a new champion on Sunday, as defending champions Spain were eliminated in the preliminary games.
