FIBA World Cup: Serbia, USA win final games

Serbia and Team USA may have had disappointing runs in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, failing to make it into the semifinals.

Both teams, however, were able to end the tournament on a high note, securing wins in their final games.

True to form, Bogdan Bogdanovic capped off a string of inspirational performances in the World Cup with yet another monster game to lead Serbia to victory over the Czech Republic 90-81.

The Czechs looked to be in control with a 50-41 halftime lead, but Bogdanovic turned up the heat in the third quarter and scorched them on the offensive end. He finished the game with 31 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers and added for rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Nikola Jokic quietly added seven points, but was able to pull down 14 boards and dish out seven dimes. Nikola Milutinov did not miss a shot as he notched 14 points and seven rebounds of his own.

Tomas Satoransky was limited to scoring just 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field with two rebounds and six assists.

Serbia finishes a disappointing fifth in a tournament where they were expected to be a dominant force to contend with. It was a stumble that will not soon be forgotten and should serve to strengthen their resolve in future competitions.

Team USA ends the 2019 FIBA World Cup with their worst finish in recent history – seventh place. They’re still bound for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics though and will be wanting a shot at redemption.

They came up with a convincing 87-74 win over Poland to cap off their tournament, a small consolation in what was deemed a disaster, based on the lofty standards pegged on them.

Donovan Mitchell led the Americans with a 16-point, 10-assist double-double performance. Sharpshooters Joe Harris and Khris Middleton added 14 and 13 points respectively. Team USA sank 12 3-pointers compared to seven by Poland.

Mateusz Pontika paced Poland with a game-high 18 points while adding seven rebounds and two steals to the box score.

All eyes now turn to Argentina and Spain as both teams square off for the FIBA World Cup gold medal tonight.