Serbia remained focused on their objective and convincingly overcame newcomers South Sudan with a score of 115-83, securing their advancement to the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Despite South Sudan’s recent victory in their inaugural World Cup appearance, the Serbians were undeterred. They were guided by the trio of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, and Nikola Milutinov, who orchestrated their victory over the African team.
This triumph marked Serbia’s first encounter with South Sudan, allowing them to secure the top position in Group B with an impeccable 3-0 record. South Sudan, on the other hand, concluded the initial group stage with a 1-2 record.
Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 23 points, further solidifying his position in World Cup history with a total of 345 points, tying with Marc Gasol for 30th place. In addition to his scoring, Bogdanovic also tallied 9 assists.
Nikola Milutinov made an impact with 17 points and 13 rebounds. However, the standout performance of the match belonged to Nikola Jovic, who received the TCL Player of the Game award.
Jovic’s remarkable performance included 25 points, achieved through a flawless 9-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-5 three-pointers. He also contributed 3 assists and 2 rebounds.
“The result doesn’t show it but it was a very physically demanding game for us,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said. “It was the toughest game we played in the group.
“I’m just happy and proud that we won and we showed the character at the end. For us we are happy with the result right now but the tournament is just starting for us.”
Watch the game highlights between South Sudan and Serbia in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
https://twitter.com/FIBAWC/status/1696825173759197489?s=20
