Serbia’s coach, Svetislav Pesic, spoke after the second round game of Group I at the World Cup, where his team defeated the Dominican Republic.
Pesic led the team to the quarterfinals as the ‘Eagles’ easily outplayed the Dominican Republic.
“It was a very tough game for us. Playing against such an offensively oriented team… First and foremost, it was important for us to show a reaction after the loss to Italy. The team responded excellently, not only because we won but also because of the game plan,” said Pesic.
“Their best player, Feliz, who’s been having a great tournament, has been the leader in all their games with excellent stats. We wanted to try and neutralize him, and we did a very good job. I believe it’s always crucial how we react in transition defense, especially against a team that plays small-ball. Towns is excellent, but our targets were Montero and Feliz,” Svetislav Pesic added.
Svetislav Pesic about importance of defense and match preparation
“The defense starts with the perimeter players. It was a very important victory. Secondly, we gave Avramovic and Petrusev a chance. We didn’t count on these players due to injuries. This was an opportunity for them, important for their confidence. I congratulate the players; every win is important, and we celebrate every victory since we started working together.”
“Nothing changed in our preparation. The most important thing when playing against such a team is to neutralize their strengths. That means being well-organized, bringing energy, and stopping the ball. If you do that well, you control your destiny. Of course, how we play on offense matters; the goal of basketball is to score points. To do that, you need the ball. If you want that, you have to play defense, grab rebounds. It’s important how we defend in transition; that’s the key.”
Forty-eight points from the bench and Davidovac
“This is what every team needs, and I’m very happy about it. We’ve had a few injury issues. You need energy, mental preparation, from every player, not just the starters.
“It’s impossible to guard an offensive-minded player like Towns. He’s exceptional in one-on-one situations, has an outstanding shot. It’s very tough when everyone plays for him. Not only Davidovac, who is intelligent and has predictive ability, but others also did a very good job. Milutinov defended Towns exceptionally well for seven minutes.”
About assists
“I saw these assists, let’s not be unrealistic, just like when we lose, let’s not be the same. Ladies and gentlemen, we had 30 assists, this is an absolute record. We’re not bragging about it, but as a coach, I have to emphasize that. When a team closes all the lanes and still manages to achieve 30 assists… that rarely happens,” concluded Svetislav Pesic.
Serbia will face Lithuania in the quarterfinals, with Lithuania surprising the USA and securing the first place in their group.