Serbia completed an unbeaten fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers by defeating Italy 76-64 in Pesaro.
The victory improved Serbia to 6-2 in Group J with four qualifying games remaining. Aleksa Avramovic led the visitors with 20 points, while Marko Guduric added 19. Both players connected on four three-pointers.
Nikola Jokic had a quieter statistical night with eight points and eight rebounds, but head coach Dusan Alimpijevic revealed afterward that the Serbian captain had been seriously ill for three days and received intravenous treatment each day, including before Monday’s game.
“He rejected to give up and leave his team alone. He never complained or said anything to us. We are so proud we have a captain like him,” Alimpijevic said.
Jokic emphasized that winning was far more important than his individual numbers.
“The most important thing is to win the game – no matter what. If I can make some advantage by not having the ball and let the other guys score I am more than glad to do that,” Jokic said.
The three-time NBA MVP also credited several less-heralded teammates for providing the energy Serbia needed.
“The energy from (Arijan) Lakic, (Nemanja) Dangubic, (Ognjen) Dobric, (Nikola) Tanaskovic was off the charts. They brought us those extra possessions, those extra points, the extra energy that led the rest of the team … Those guys were the soul today in the game.”
Serbia initially built a 14-point advantage following a 13-0 run, but Italy responded and eventually tied the game at 44-44. Avramovic and Guduric helped Serbia regain control before a strong defensive start to the fourth quarter created another double-digit cushion.
Nico Mannion paced Italy with 23 points, while Simone Fontecchio scored 15. The defeat dropped Italy to 5-3 after entering the window with a 5-1 record.
“Serbia played a very serious game. They used all their advantages in terms of skill and size. But I believe for most of the game we were able to compete. I really liked the effort of the guys. They understood the sense of urgency,” Italy coach Luca Banchi said.
Serbia will next travel to Lithuania before hosting Italy during the November qualifying window, while Italy will also face Türkiye at home.
