BELGRADE (Serbia) - Georgia could've easily been winless after their games against Switzerland and Serbia. Instead, they climbed to 2-0, following a 94-90 win that spoiled coach Igor Kokoskov's home debut in front of the packed stands of the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

The last time the Georgians played against Serbia in Belgrade in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, Michael Dixon scored 36 points, but that was only good enough for an 18-point defeat.

This time around, Thad McFadden made sure they escaped the city with a win.

Turning Point: With Serbia up by one in the last minute, coach Ilias Zouros wanted a McFadden-Shermadini pick and roll through the middle. But Serbia defended it perfectly, not allowing Giorgi Shermadini to come close to his guard. Instead, McFadden decided to go alone, knocking down a triple over Ognjen Jaramaz's hand with 33 seconds to play, giving Georgia a two-point lead.

Serbia had one possession to tie or take the lead, but Rade Zagorac couldn't convert on a long two after a play designed by Kokoskov. Novica Velickovic couldn't control the offensive rebound, and McFadden finished the game off with a pair of free throws to set the final score.

Game Hero: McFadden was unconscious with 33 points and 7 assists, knocking down all 11 of his free throw attempts. He had a helping hand in Shermadini, author of 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Stats Don't Lie: Free throws. In such a close game, Georgia had a 27-19 edge from the charity stripe, missing only two attempts, compared to Serbia's six missed free throws at home.

Bottom Line: No need to stress too much about this defeat for Serbia, as they played a good game and had a one-two punch in the backcourt with Aleksa Avramovic and Ognjen Jaramaz, who combined for 49 points and 10 assists, with just 4 turnovers between the two. They fall to 1-1, with Georgia enjoying a 2-0 lead at the top of the group.

FIBA