Finland Stuns Serbia: Jokic Eliminated from EuroBasket

Finland Surprises Serbia in EuroBasket with a Stellar Performance

RIGA, Latvia – In an exciting round of 16 match of the EuroBasket tournament, Finland achieved a surprising victory over Serbia, defeating Nikola Jokic’s team with a final score of 92-86. Elias Valtonen’s outstanding performance in the final minutes was key to the Finnish victory. Jokic, NBA star, led Serbia with 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to counter Finland’s determination. The match was close, but it was Finland who managed to score the crucial shots in the decisive moments. Serbia managed to take a 77-75 lead in the final quarter, but a three-pointer by Valtonen with two minutes left changed the course of the game, putting Finland ahead 82-78. Valtonen continued his scoring streak with a basket and another three-pointer, consolidating his team’s advantage.

“They played a great game. We weren’t ready from the start,” Jokic commented after the game. “I just wasn’t ready from the start.”

Nikola Jokic

This victory marks the first time Finland has beaten Serbia since 2009. Serbia, one of the tournament favorites, is eliminated in the round of 16 for the second consecutive time. Finland demonstrated its superiority in offensive rebounding, capturing 20 rebounds, something that Jokic called “unacceptable”. Lauri Markkanen led Finland with 29 points, while Valtonen added 13 points. In the quarterfinals, Finland will face France or Georgia.

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In other matches on Saturday, Turkey, Germany, and Lithuania also secured their place in the next round. Alperen Sengun, with 24 points, led Turkey in their 85-79 victory over Sweden. Germany surpassed Portugal with a score of 85-58, and Lithuania defeated Latvia, the co-host of the tournament, with a score of 88-79. Sengun, who also grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out six assists, had an outstanding performance against Sweden. Germany struggled with their shooting, but managed to overcome Portugal, limiting them to only seven points in the second half. Germany’s captain, Dennis Schroder, and Franz Wagner scored 16 points each, despite not succeeding in their three-point attempts. Turkey will face Poland or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the quarterfinals. Germany will play against Italy or Slovenia, and Lithuania will face Greece or Israel. The remaining round of 16 matches will be played on Sunday. The current champion, Spain, was eliminated in the group stage by Greece.