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Serbia’s coach Dusan Alimpijevic revealed at the post-match press conference that Nikola Jokic had been very ill for the past three days, was on an IV drip, but refused to give up and ultimately helped the team. “One of the most important things is that everyone played at their maximum and gave their best. But this gentleman, who was here just a second ago and is the captain of this team, was very, very sick for the last three days. He refused to give up and leave this team. He came to play, never complained to us, and did what he did. We are so proud to have a captain like him.”
Serbia claimed a crucial win in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. On the road in the second game of the August qualifying window, Serbia defeated Italy 76-64 to secure its sixth win and strengthen its position in the race to qualify for next year’s World Cup.
The game was also attended by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who came to watch two Heat players face off against each other. For Serbia, Heat forward Nikola Jovic finished with five points in 11 minutes before fouling out. For Italy, fellow Heat forward Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points, knocking down three of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. Serbia’s biggest star, Nikola Jokic, also had a relatively quiet game by his standards, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds in the win.
Ira Winderman: Heat forward Nikola Jovic closed with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting (2 of 6 on 3-pointers) to lead Serbia to a 102-73 victory over Iceland in Belgrade in World Cup qualifying. Jovic added three rebounds and two assists in 23:26. Serbia concludes the two-game qualifying window Monday at Italy.
Nikola Jokic did not need to carry the scoring load as Serbia defeated Iceland 102-73 in Belgrade to improve to 5-2 in Group J of the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. The Denver Nuggets superstar scored only six points in 23 minutes but influenced the game in virtually every other area, adding 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals for a performance index rating of 21, the second-highest on the Serbian team.
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Victor Wembanyama revealed what he learned from the game as a captain, who is seeking to get better at the role. "Everything depends on the circumstances. At halftime, we had almost the same score as we did against Serbia in the friendly game. We made mistakes in the previous game that we didn't repeat today. It wasn't perfect. You have to know how to find the right words depending on the context." Finally, he was asked about his partnership with Rudy Gobert improving every game: "That's normal! That's the only direction it's supposed to go. I hope to share the court with him for a long time, for years. It's good. It's a step forward. We're working."
“Jabari Parker is a Partizan player and has a valid contract with the club for another year. It is true that his arrival was the wish of the previous coaching staff, while the current coaching staff has its own plans and vision for the team next season,” Partizan president Ostoja Mijailovic told B92 Sport. Mijailovic confirmed that discussions over the American forward’s future are underway. “At this moment, together with the player and his representatives, we are looking for the best possible solution, primarily taking care of Partizan’s interests, but also maintaining a fair relationship with the player.”
Speaking about the lessons learned, Wembanyama admitted that he gains insight from every matchup against Nikola Jokic. "Of course you always learn when you play against Jokic. You always catch some stuff and smarter moves on the court in those duels with him."
"I felt more comfortable on the court [as a center] from the start. We are a new team, and we don't know each other so well yet, so it was important to start from the basics. I think that we have made a step forward." "My words before the game were that we shouldn't take anything for granted. It is an exhibition game, but we have to learn how to win. Today we learnt a few lessons."
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Alongside Minnesota Timberwolves big Rudy Gobert, Wemby anchored a fierce interior defense that propelled Les Bleus to a quick double-digit lead, though Sylvain Francisco ultimately netted a team-high 20 points, just ahead of Wembanyama’s 19.
The third quarter, however, belonged entirely to the Joker. Responding with MVP-caliber brilliance, Jokic spearheaded a furious Serbian comeback by dominating the paint, finishing with a dominant 34 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists to snatch the lead early in the fourth quarter. Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic ended up with 13 points to aid the comeback.
Nikola Vucevic: “Which EuroLeague teams would I have played for? Well, Crvena zvezda for sure. I’m a Zvezda fan, everybody knows that. Other than that, Real Madrid has always caught my attention. Or maybe Olympiacos. Real Madrid is the royal club, after all. I love football too. I don’t support them, but I have a lot of respect for their history, their culture and what they represent. I like Olympiacos as well.”
After a narrow friendly loss to Nikola Jokic and Serbia in a packed Belgrade Arena on Thursday, Victor Wembanyama offered an assessment of his current form with the senior national team of France. “I feel a bit rusty. We are still trying to get into rhythm and find patterns. We fought until the end, and I’m especially happy because of that,” he stated during his postgame media session.