By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Sixteen matches will be played in the third round of the qualifiers, after which the standings in the group tables will become much clearer.
Group A
Spain was the first to secure a victory this Friday in the World Cup qualifiers, as they defeated Ukraine 86-66 on neutral ground in Riga.
Ferran Bassas and Alvaro Cardenas scored 16 points each, while Jaime Fernandez added 14. On the other side, Oleksandr Kovliar scored 15 points, and Dmytro Skapintsev had 10.
Group B
Montenegro pulled off a surprise by defeating Greece 67-65 on the road.
The hosts had a shot to force overtime, but Vasileios Toliopoulos missed, allowing Montenegro to begin their celebration.
Zoran Nikolic scored 19 points, while Emir Hadzibegovic added 10. On the other side, Kostas Antetokounmpo scored 13 points, one more than Kostas Papanikolaou.
Group F
Netherlands defeated Austria on the road with a score of 81-71.
Keye Van Der Vuurst was outstanding with 25 points, while on the other side, Bogic Vujosevic scored 23.
Group G
France secured an important victory by defeating Hungary 74-71 on the road.
The hero was Sylvain Francisco, who hit a three-pointer in the final second to secure the win for his team.
Amine Noua scored 15 points, Amath M’Baye had 13, and Francisco added ten. For the home team, Zoltan Perl led with 21 points.
FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers
Group A
1. Spain 6 (3-0)
2. Ukraine 5 (2-1)
3. Denmark 2 (0-2)
4. Georgia 2 (0-2)
Ukraine – Spain 68-88
Denmark – Denmark (18:30 CET)
Group B
1. Montenegro 5 (2-1)
2. Greece 5 (2-1)
3. Portugal 3 (1-1)
4. Romania 2 (0-2)
Greece – Montenegro 65-67
Portugal – Romania (20:00 CET)
Group C
1. Turkiye 4 (2-0)
2. Serbia 4 (2-0)
3. Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 (0-2)
4. Switzerland 2 (0-2)
Serbia – Turkey (19:00 CET)
Bosnia-Herzegovina – Switzerland (20:00 CET)
Group D
1. Great Britain 3 (1-1)
2. Lithuania 2 (1-1)
3. Iceland 3 (1-1)
4. Italy 3 (1-1)
Great Britain – Italy (20:30 CET)
Iceland – Lithuania (20:30 CET)
Group E
2. Germany 4 (2-0)
3. Israel 2 (0-2)
4. Cyprus 2 (0-2)
Group F
1. Poland 4 (2-0)
2. Netherlands 3 (1-1)
3. Latvia 3 (1-1)
4. Austria 2 (0-2)
Austria – Netherlands 71-81
Latvia – Poland (18:30 CET)
Group G
1. Hungary 4 (2-0)
2. Finland 3 (1-1)
3. France 3 (1-1)
4. Belgium 2 (0-2)
Hungary – France 71-74
Belgia – Finland (20:30 CET)
Group H
1. Czechia 4 (2-0)
2. Estonia 3 (1-1)
3. Slovenia 3 (1-1)
4. Sweden 2 (0-2)
Slovenia – Czechia (18:30 CET)
Sweden – Estonia (19:00 CET)