Window 4 action in Round 2 of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers concluded on Sunday for the European and African regions.
Sunday’s games featured notable NBA talent including: Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Kristaps Porziņgis (Latvia).
Here are the standout performances from Sunday:
Greece 85, Belgium 68
A record 19,443 fans witness Greek Freak’s first official home game & he delivered 💯#FIBAWC x #WinForHellas 🇬🇷
— FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 28, 2022
Antetokounmpo (26 points, 7 rebounds) and Mavs guard Tyler Dorsey (22 points) catapulted Greece to a convincing home win on Sunday. The Greeks stifled Belgium in a packed arena full of faithful Athens fans, holding the Lions to 35% shooting while forcing 23 turnovers (29 points).
Serbia 79, Turkey 72
Turkey received steady production on Sunday from its three-headed trio of Cavs forward Cedi Osman (22 points), 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz (18 points) and Rockets youngster Alperen Sengun (17 points, 13 rebounds). But reigning back-to-back Kia MVP Jokic racked up a strong double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds), enough to help Serbia hold on in its Window 4 finale.
Latvia 87, Great Britain 80
Wizards forward Kristaps Porziņgis turned in a stellar performance against Great Britain. The former All-Star tallied 29 points and 14 rebounds to help Latvia pull out the road win. Although Mavs forward Davis Bertans struggled (2 points, 1-6 FGs), his brother Dairis converted a 3-pointer with just over four minutes left to claim a 76-73 lead that Latvia would not relinquish.
Germany 90, Slovenia 71
Germany handed Slovenia its biggest loss so far on the backs of Rockets guard Dennis Schroder (17 points, 10 assists, 2 steals) and Magic forward Franz Wagner (16 points, 7 rebounds). Doncic contributed a game-high 23 points and was one of only two Slovenian players to score in double figures.
Finland 76, Estonia 68
The Wolfpack is heading to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🇫🇮🐺
Finland is the first European nation to clinch a spot in next year’s #FIBAWC!#WinForFinland pic.twitter.com/J0Zqrcj7oU
— FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 28, 2022
Cavs big man Lauri Markkanen just missed out on a double-double in Finland’s win, dropping an efficient 18 points to go along with nine boards. Finland took three of four quarters to officially punch its ticket to next year’s FIBA World Cup.
Angola 70, Nigeria 67
Nigeria narrowly fell to Angola despite an exceptional effort from Kings forward Chimezie Metu (17 points, 10 rebounds). The D’Tigers were plagued by turnovers, committing 22 of them on the day. Suns guard Josh Okogie chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Nigeria in the loss.
Tunisia 57, Congo DR 45
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga had an impressive showing on Sunday, scoring an efficient 19 points (5-9 FGs) with 8 boards in Congo’s loss to Tunisia. The Eagles were boosted by a 14-point 1st-quarter advantage.