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Keith Smith: Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points (12-for-12 FTs) as Bosnia fell to Lithuania today. Luka Garza finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
Jusuf Nurkic led Bosnia and Herzegovina to a crucial 78-76 win over Italy in the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. The Utah Jazz center finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. He shot 11-of-15 from two-point range, grabbed six offensive rebounds, and completed the match with a game-high 28 efficiency rating.
Ira Winderman: In another World Cup qualifying game Friday, Heat forward Simone Fontecchio closed with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting (1 of 4 on 3-pointers) in Italy's 78-75 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fontecchio added six rebounds in his 30:28, with his team done in by the 25 points and 14 rebounds of Jusuf Nurkic.
Ira Winderman: today's Heat stats from World Cup qualifying: Nikola Jovic in Serbia 94-78 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina: 32 points on 11 of 16 FG, 7 of 9 on 3s, 3 blocks. Pelle Larsson in Sweden 88-79 win over Slovenia: 31 points on 10 of 21 FG, 1 of 8 on 3s, 10-15 FTs, 3 assists.
Italy had already secured qualification before the tip-off, but the game was a real battle for survival, decided by the young blood of both teams. When all was said and done, Italy got the 67-63 over Spain, which is in danger of ending the Eurobasket in two days. After this result, Italy is tied with Greece with a 3-1 record, which needs to beat Spain in the last round to secure the top spot in the Group C standings. If Spain loses to Greece and Bosnia beats Georgia, then Spain will finish 5th in the standings.
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Georgia avoided a slip-up before their final decisive game against Bosnia and Herzegovina as they rolled past hosts Cyprus 93-61 for a second victory at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 thanks to a masterful performance by Tornike Shengelia and Goga Bitadze.
Greece has already qualified for the Eurobasket Round of 16. Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Giannoulis Larentzakis (back) were rested after sustaining minor injuries, and the game started with a 34-21 lead over Bosnia. In the end, however, Bosnia got its second win of the tournament with the final score being 80-77, and can also hope to qualify depending on the result on the last day of the tournament against Georgia.
Thanks to an amazing 18-0 run, Bosnia turned things around, led 39-34 two minutes before the end of halftime, and never looked back. Naturalized guard John Roberson, with 18 points, was the top scorer of the winners. Jusuf Nurkic also scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds, and Edin Atic also scored 15.
Christos Tsaltas: Asked Jusuf Nurkic if Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence changed the game plan for Bosnia. "It didn't change a lot. We had the same attachment on offense or defense. Regardless of who gonna play there, you have to have the same discipline. "#EuroBasket #GREBIH @athletiko_gr
Ira Winderman: Heat's Simone Fontecchio with a breakout performance for Italy in Sunday's 96-79 EuroBasket victory over Bosnia Herzegovina, closes with 39 points on 13 of 20, including 7 of 10 on 3s, and 8 rebounds. Heat's Larsson (Sweden), Jovic (Serbia) off today.
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In the EuroBasket 2025 opener for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jusuf Nurkic stood out with a team-high 18 points in a comfortable win, 91-64, versus Cyprus. The 31-year-old center of the Utah Jazz added six rebounds, two steals, one block, and one steal. “We kind of used the game for something to maybe trick people, but at the end of the day, it’s a good start and I feel great to get first off my chest,” he recapped the team effort to begin a five-game round-robin schedule in Limassol.
Coach Vassilis Spanoulis was asked in the official pre-tournament press conference if his superstar must be protected and maybe not be used in some Eurobasket games, which might be easy for Greece, but important for their opponent, mainly Bosnia, and he clarified the situation: “Giannis can play as much as I want him to play, we are in the official games now and there’s no limitations any more”. Captain Kostas Papanikolaou also praised Giannis: “He is one of the top players in the world, he is amazing. His presence and the way he is treating his teammates, how approachable he is, that’s making him a good leader. He is reaching out to everybody, he is helping everyone, and he makes sure everyone knows what he has to do. He is more vocal compared to his first years in the national team. That makes the team function better”.
Former Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Mirza Teletović opened up about a touching moment in his career when LeBron James stepped in to help during his darkest days. In 2015, after suffering a serious pulmonary embolism, Teletović found himself without a team and struggling to find anyone willing to take a chance on him due to health concerns. “Few people really know who King James is,” Teletović said. “After my pulmonary embolism, when no one wanted to sign me, he called my agent and offered me a contract with Cleveland.”