In the first match of the newly formed Group I at the FIBA World Cup, Serbia competed against a well-known rival, Italy. Although the Eagles had a 16-point lead at one point in the third period, in the end they were defeated by a score of 78:76.
Borisa Simanis was not in the squad due to the operation he had to undergo after the match against South Sudan when he received an awkward blow in the kidney area.
The very beginning of the game started nervously for the Serbian basketball players. Italy knew how to use it for an early advantage of 7:2. on the wings of a good shot for three, they reached a double-digit difference, but the Eagles reduced the deficit to 23:19 after ten minutes of play with a good game in the end. Serbia opened the second half with a series of 10:2, retaliated against Italy, and finally Bogdan Bogdanovic put an end to the first half with a three-pointer with the sound of the siren for 42:39.
![Gianmarco Pozzecco](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/pozzecco.jpeg)
Although Serbia raised the level of the game in defense, with a great flow of the ball in attack, they reached plus 16 at one point. Then there was a drop in the game, and Italy put an end to the third period with an 8:0 series for drama and endings and 62:59 before the decisive period. The Italians played smarter in the end, Serbia had a hard time finding ways to get points, so in the end the defeat went to the rivals with a score of 78:76.
The best scorer in the winning team was the impressive Simone Fontecchio with 30 points and seven rebounds. Marco Spissu scored 14 points, while on the other side, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 18 points, but with an exceptional three-point shooting percentage (1/13). Ognjen Dobric scored 15, while Nikola Milutinov had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
In the next match of the second round of the FIBA World Cup, Serbia will play against the Dominican Republic. On the other hand, Italy will face Puerto Rico.