Bogdan Bogdanovic, the captain of the Serbian national team, shared his thoughts after a resounding triumph against China.
Bogdanovic previously earned the title of top scorer in the last FIBA World Cup. He opened this tournament with 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 22 minutes on the court. Exiting the game midway through the third quarter, he did not return.
“Every victory is good at the start of a major tournament. I’m pleased with the second half and how we played. I hope for even better performances ahead. I believe we have an advantage in terms of player quality compared to China,” Bogdan Bogdanovic stated in the opening part of his remarks.
Firing on all cylinders, Serbia rout China ๐ฅ๐ณ#FIBAWC x #WinForSrbija ๐ท๐ธ
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ๐ (@FIBAWC) August 26, 2023
The Serbian captain briefly commented on the officiating in the match. There were a few contentious decisions where the refereeing trio missed fouls against the “Eagles.” However, Bogdanovic sees some advantage in this, at least when discussing the match against China.
“FIBA allowed physicality, especially in the second half. Actually, the referees let it go, and we took advantage of that. Our goal is to play better and continue to improve our form.”
Filip Petrusev exited the game due to injury in the first half. After the initial part of the match, he remained in the locker room and did not even return to the bench in the later stages. However, Bogdan Bogdanovic emphasizes that the extent of the injury isn’t of a more serious nature.
“I’m not sure. He was warming up, but I think he didn’t want to push it.”