By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
The matches of the third and fourth rounds of the European qualifiers have concluded, after which the situation in the group standings has become much clearer.
After 16 games on Friday, as well as eight on Sunday and eight on Monday, we have the first ten national teams that have secured advancement to the second phase.
On Sunday, Croatia, Germany, Israel, Poland, Finland, and France managed it, while on Monday, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, and Georgia joined them.
Once again, the FIBA window has reminded us why we love it and why we eagerly await national team matches. Beautiful plays, game-winning shots, brilliant individual performances, unstoppable teams… These are the five things that marked the FIBA window behind us.
Three game-winners in one day
On Friday, we witnessed 16 matches, several of which ended in dramatic fashion, with even three being decided by last-second points. It all started in Hungary, where the hosts were close to an upset against France.
With a three-pointer four seconds before the end, they tied the game (71-71), but the visitors had enough time for a final play after a timeout. The ball went to Sylvain Francisco, who hit the shot from the corner, yet another crucial shot in his career, paving the way for his team to advance to the second phase of the qualifiers.
A spectacle was also seen in Latvia, where the home team would have celebrated had the visitors not had Jordan Loyd in their lineup. Arturs Strautins thrilled the fans with four seconds to go, scoring with a foul, and after making the free throw, Latvia had a one-point lead (82-81).
However, as in Hungary, there was plenty of time left. The ball went to Loyd, who, with a brilliant dribble, created separation and hit a buzzer-beater, leaving Riga disappointed and capping off his fantastic performance – he finished with 37 points.
The third game-winning basket was seen in Iceland, in one of the craziest matches. Lithuania had a 21-point lead in the final quarter (77-56), but even that wasn’t enough for them.
The hosts got into rhythm, started making every shot, particularly the incredible Elvar Fridriksson. He ended up with 34 points and, with a brilliant move and a basket at the buzzer, shocked the Lithuanians and secured a very important victory for his team.
Tornike Shengelia – Georgia’s hero once again
Among the many players who always make themselves available for their country, the name Tornike Shengelia consistently appears at the very top.
The man who traveled overnight from Barcelona to Georgia in the previous window to be at Aleksandar Dzikic’s disposal once again played in both matches for the national team, in which Georgia recorded two victories and secured advancement to the second phase.
Shengelia and his teammates defeated Denmark in both games, securing their ticket to the next phase and remaining in the race for a spot in the World Cup in Qatar. In Denmark, the power forward scored 24 points with seven rebounds, while three days later, he had 27 points and 11 rebounds.
It should also be noted that he had significant help from Marcquise Reed, the new naturalized player in the Georgian squad. Reed is having a dream season with Trabzonspor, averaging over 23 points per game in the Turkish league, and he brought his excellent form to Dzikic’s team – scoring 18 points in Denmark, and even 29 in the second game.
Georgia is certainly moving forward and will surely be in the competition for the World Cup, with the greatest credit going to Shengelia, the man who is always there for Georgia.
Three crazy days for Vasileios Toliopoulos
Greece suffered a painful loss on Friday, losing at home to Montenegro (67-65). Vasileios Toliopoulos had the chance to bring his team to a tie in the final seconds, but he missed, allowing the visitors to celebrate.
However, the Panathinaikos guard redeemed himself just three days later. In an extremely important match, Greece managed to even the series (79-65), thanks to an incredible performance by Toliopoulos. He scored 27 points, had ten assists, and was the only player on his team with double digits, being the most deserving of the victory.
From being a tragic figure and a sleepless night to a hero – the journey the Panathinaikos player went through in just three days.
Turkey 2-0 against Serbia
Arguably the most intriguing double-header in European basketball over the past few days was the clash between Turkey, the European vice-champions, and Serbia, a team that always aims for medals in competitions. From these two matches, each a spectacle in its own right, Turkey emerged with two victories, remaining the only undefeated team alongside Spain and Poland.
We witnessed the great performance of Tarik Biberovic, one of the players in top form, who might have been the missing piece for Ergin Ataman’s team to clinch gold in Riga last September. He was the top scorer in both games, and his three-pointer in the final minute of the game in Belgrade proved crucial for Turkey’s away win.
Although Serbia was weakened and lacked more players than Turkey, Dusan Alimpijevic’s team did not give up, and Bogoljub Markovic, a member of Mega and drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025, performed excellently in both matches. He scored 19 points in Belgrade, and despite being one of the youngest, he led his team towards a comeback.
Two great matches between two excellent teams, and it’s not impossible that we might see these same rivals face off in the final stage of the World Cup next year.
Stefan Joksimovic – A star in the making
Several young players have recorded excellent performances in recent days, but Stefan Joksimovic, the Slovenian national team player, particularly stood out.
Joksimovic also had a notable role in the previous window, being on the court in the crucial moments of his team’s match against Estonia, which remains Slovenia’s only loss in the qualifiers.
It is evident that the 18-year-old Baskonia player is gaining more trust and is seen as a player who will be among the key forces for Slovenia in a few years. In the first game of this window, which Slovenia won against the Czech Republic (99-59), Joksimovic spent 19 minutes on the court. He finished that match with 15 points and six rebounds, being among the top scorers for his team, which also secured another victory two days later, bringing them a step closer to qualification.
This forward, who can also play as a shooting guard, has been getting minutes under Paolo Galbiati in Baskonia, and there is no doubt that this will greatly help him. Stefan Joksimovic is a name we could hear much about in the future.