Unique performance from “tomorrow” men’s team basketball knocked Serbia to the canvas, forcing them to take on Great Britain on Monday (27/2) to secure their place in the finals of the 2023 World Cup.

The representative group, which qualified and will announce their presence in the stadiums of Asia, won in extra time (80-80 a.d.a.) with 97-92 “float” in closed Ano Liosionto the 11th round of qualification, having improved his record in the 9th group to 6-3.

On the other hand, the Serbs have fallen to 5-4 and are now called up in their latest commitment to play for their future in the tournament.

The absolute protagonists of the national team, which completes its work in the qualification against Latvia in Riga (27/2, 19.30), Nikos Rogavopulos (28 points) and Dimitris Moraitis (23 points), with the same “fixing” victory in overtime with three “sticky” three-pointers and the second to signal in regular time for a reversal from -13 (35-48 on 25′), sending the match into an extra five minutes. From Serbia he fought Nikola Milyutinov with 24 points and 9 rebounds.

Before the jambol, Greece and Serbia paid tribute to the memory of the deceased Stefan Gelovac. The international players of the two teams were wearing T-shirts with the name and image of the Serbian centre-back, who last played at AEK and at the Ano Liosii Indoor Stadium.

Ten minutes: 8-15, 30-39, 55-62, 80-80k.a., 97-92 par.

The failure of the national team in two-point shots (0/8) in the first quarter cost the representative of the group, which, with … Good evening, entered into a disadvantageous position (8-15 on 10′). However, in the second period, the White-and-Blues’ defense “got in touch”, Rogavopoulos found a rhythm from the perimeter, Hatsidakis “punched” close to the basket, and the team with a partial score of 12-6 was reduced to 20-21 in 14 minutes. The Serbian reaction, however, was immediate and increased their productivity, scoring their own individual score of 8-15, securing a margin of safety (28-36) that held until the break (30-39).

Serbs’ duration in attack and defense for the first time gave “melt” a two-digit difference (33-44 in the 23rd minute), which reached its maximum value in the 25th minute (+13, 35-48). . A national lead of 6.75 reduced the lead to single digits (41-50), but Jeremic had 41-53 answers. The third period, however, ended with Moraitis hitting from 20 yards (!) the three-pointer of the year to make it 55-62 in the 30-foot minute.

A Greek defender’s three-pointer ignited… the flames, and the national team, led by Rogavopoulos, continued to counterattack in the… epilogue of the game, reducing the score by 33′ to 63-65. In fact, with the seminary defense, the representative group achieved a complete reversal, and with a three-pointer by Moraitis in the 36th minute, the score was 71-68! Jaramatch quickly equalized and the two teams went hand in hand until the final seconds. At the end of the game, the Serbs tried to take advantage of Milutinov’s experience at the basket, and in the 47th minute the dynamic center scored 78-80. However, Moraitis was unstoppable and made it 80-80 from the lap in the 25th minute, sending the match into overtime as Giaramatch failed to find the winning 3-pointer in the 4th minute.

In an extra five minutes and after a start full of errors by both teams, Rogavopoulos armed himself with 6.75 and three consecutive 3-pointers recorded 89-85 in the 44th minute before Hatzidakis “fixed” the victory on 37 ΄΄, forming an irreversible over as it evolved 91-87…
REFEREES: Conte, Castillo, Marquez

Compositions:

GREECE (Sotitis Manolopoulos): Flionis 3 (1), P. Kalaitsakis 10 (2), Moraitis 23 (3), Muratos 9 (1), Rogavopoulos 28 (5), Hatsidakis 4, Hougas 8, Gondikas 6, Kouseloglu 1, Papas, Toliopoulos 3 (1), Tsalburis 2.

SERBIA (Svetislav Pesic): Dangubic, 6, Davidovac, 11 (2), Jagodic-Kuria, 7 (1), Yaramaz, 7 (1), Radanov, 7, Jeremic, 9 (3), Jovic, 5, Milutinov, 24, Ristic, 10, Simanich, Uskokovic.

Source: RES-IPE