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Unbeaten Serbia got the 82-60 win over winless Czech Republic with Aleksa Avramovic having 14 points, Filip Petrusev 13 points, and Nikola Milutinov adding 12, while Nikola Jokic (6 p., 7 r., 4 as.) getting some rest. Vasa Micic got an injury scare, but coach Svetislav Pesic and Micic himself, speaking to Serbian television, confirmed that he is ready to go, so the issue at the press conference was the upcoming game against Turkey.
Ira Winderman: Nikola Jovic, in a game he suffered what appeared to be a minor hand injury, closed with 10 points on 4 of 7 in Serbia 82-60 victory over Czechia. Also six rebounds in his 22:48. Serbia already had clinched advancing to knockout round.
Alperen Sengun falls one assist shy of triple-double in Turkey victory over Czech Republic
With Alperen Sengun taking over, Turkiye routed Czechia, 92-78, in Xiaomi Arena. The 23-year-old center of the Houston Rockets fell one assist shy of becoming the fifth member on the all-time list of players with a triple-double in EuroBasket. Behind 8/9 two-pointers, he ended up with a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double, alongside nine assists, two blocks, and one steal on Friday. “It’s not a big deal,” Sengun responded to a question about missing a triple-double during the postgame press conference, “I was trying to tell him [Ergin Ataman], but he didn’t understand me. It’s OK. We have so many games left, so I have a chance to do it. If they keep doubling me, I will find the right play.”
Tomas Satoransky will miss Eurobasket
The Czech Republic is preparing to begin its EuroBasket 2025 campaign, but today the team suffered a major setback: Tomas Satoransky, the star of the squad, will miss the competition due to injury. The announcement came directly from the player himself through a post on his social media channels. Satoransky said: “I had to make a very difficult decision today. Those who know me understand what it means for me to play for the national team and how much I wanted to take part in my fifth European Championship in national colors. However, due to my current health condition, I cannot help the guys the way I would like and as expected of me. Therefore, I must apologize for withdrawing. Simply put, my back has stopped me, just like the young boy in the picture.
The Czech national team has announced its preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2025. The roster is headlined by their only NBA player, Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci, and Barcelona’s Tomas Satoransky.
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So Eurobasket is already in your mind? The Czech team is changing a lot and obviously they will rely on you a lot. "It will be something new again. I'm looking forward to this challenge. It's good to be with the guys we play with on the national team. It's been rebuilt a little bit, we have a new coach and Tomas Satoransky will be there at the same time, who helped me as a mentor when I went to the NBA. Actually, all the coaches in Atlanta were happy that I'll be playing in Eurobasket, that I'm counted on. They believe that it will move me on again if I have a more important role. And I already know that some coaches will come to Riga to see me."
Donatas Urbonas: Top teams to miss the FIBA World Cup 2023: 🇦🇷 Argentina (No. 4 in FIBA ranking) 🇨🇿 Czech Republic (12) 🇵🇱 Poland (14) 🇹🇷 Turkey (16) 🇳🇬 Nigeria (19) 🇹🇳 Tunisia (22) 🇭🇷 Croatia (23)
The Canadians, after a brutal 2019 World Cup that went so poorly they couldn’t qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, hosted the last qualifying opportunity for the 2021 Games last June. Andrew Wiggins (more on him in a minute), Powell, Joseph, Barrett, Dort, and Alexander-Walker were all on the team, but they still lost to the Czech Republic and failed to make it to Tokyo. “People would say to us, ‘Well, how are they gonna beat you? You got a few NBA guys and all that stuff,’” Nurse said. “(The Czechs) have been together like 10 years, they had, had their entire team back from the 2019 World Cup, which finished fifth, and I mean, like, they’re really good and they played together forever.”
Charles Barkley on Victor Wembanyama: 'He looks like he's great, but you really can't tell until he gets to the NBA'
Chuck doubts the French unicorn's potential to dominate the NBA since day one, as Michael Jordan or LeBron James did. "Everybody wants this kid and he looks like he's great, but you really can't tell until he gets to the NBA," Barkley said on Inside the NBA, co-hosted by him, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson. Barkley continued his rant after Kenny praised Wembanyama for shooting and dribbling abilities. "I don't agree with all that, I think it's going to be a huge adjustment. The physicality... I think it's more physical than him playing against the Czech Republic," Barkley referred to the last FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers game where Wembanyama led France with an impressive stat line of 22 points, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 6 blocks, and 34 EFF.
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"I don't know the answer to that," Barkley responded and then talked about the number of players who were compared to Michael Jordan and did not live up to it. "He is the next this, he is the next that. Like, how many people did Michael Jordan kill? We've been for the last 40 years like, 'Well, he is the next Michael Jordan.' And we never had another one. We killed like Howard Miner, Roy Marble, like all these guys. "I want to see the kid [Wembanyama] play, I hope he is great. I can't sit now here just because he is killing people over in the Czech Republic that he is going to come over here and dominate. I just don't believe," Barkley emphasized.
The Czech national team head coach, Ronen Ginzburg, agrees that Giannis Antetokounmpo and the company, whom he lost against tonight, are the front-runners to bring the trophy home. "I think they really have a good chance for that. For sure, they have weaknesses but I think they are a top candidate to take the EuroBasket," Ginzburg spoke at the post-game conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes in second time to lead Greece win
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 out of his game-high 27 points in the second half while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists as Greece survived a tough Czech Republic team 94 – 88 to advance to the 2022 EuroBasket quarterfinals.
Donatas Urbonas: Czech Rep. coach Ronen Ginzburg on FIBA 2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. FIBA 2022 Giannis. "His shot is still so so. But he is an amazing player. Giannis is stronger and is sharing the ball more."
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