In the semi-final clash of the FIBA World Cup, Serbia competed against Canada, one of the main favorites for the gold medal. The “Eagles” celebrated with the result 95:86 after an impressive basketball performance, so they will fight for the brightest medal!
The “Eagles” opened the game in a fantastic rhythm for the opening 8:1, to which Canada responded mostly with points from the racket. Bogdan Bogdanovic was in an extremely good mood, and after the rival’s return to equal score, Serbia profited with a great team defense and in the attack for 23:15 after ten minutes of play.
In the second period, Serbia continued with a great performance at both ends of the floor. As time went on, the lead grew bigger, and the problem for Canada was three personal fouls each by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks. Serbia led 52:39 at halftime, although at one point they had a 15-point lead.
Although Canada managed to further reduce the deficit at the start of the second half, several times even to minus seven, Serbia led 75:63 thanks to the sequence of Ognjen Dobric, but also with a good shooting release at the end of the third quarter before the decisive ten minutes.
The Serbian national team had several defensive lapses at the start of the fourth quarter, which the rival punished with three-point shots, but the advantage was still in double figures. Bogdanović put an end to this game by 91:76, which paved the way to victory and placement in the grand final!
The most effective individual in the winning team was Bogdan Bogdanovic, scoring 25 points. Ognjen Dobric added 16, while Nikola Milutinov recorded a double-double performance (18 points, 10 rebounds). Marko Guduric finished the game with 12 points, and Canada was led by R.J. Barrett with 21 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “counted” to 15.
In the second semi-final, the United States and Germany will look for a victory that would secure them a place in the fight for the gold medal starting at 2:40 p.m. The FIBA World Cup offered a spectacle, and the icing on the cake will certainly be the grand final scheduled for Sunday.