Serbia, France hit stride at just the right time

BELGRADE (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Serbia and France underlined their status as good bets to win their respective FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) on Saturday night by trading blows in a second exciting clash in the space of four days.

After winning the first encounter in Paris on Tuesday, Serbia returned to Belgrade and scraped a 94-88 triumph after overtime. More important than the result for France coach Vincent Collet was that his team showed substantial improvement from the opening encounter, something that bodes well for Les Bleus' OQT campaign in Manila, which tips off 5 July.

"What was interesting tonight was that we played a match of the highest level... there was intensity and strong defensive efforts, including by us," Collet said. "We have improved a lot compared to Tuesday, especially on offense. We had a mobility which was really interesting and I hope we keep it."

France's power forward Joffrey Lauvergne was upbeat, too, despite the loss. He had 14 points in the contest.

"The games against Serbia are always very interesting," he said. "France and Serbia are teams of a very similar level and the Serbs are always ready long before the start of their competitions, so this is very positive for us tonight. Given our early preparation, we can only be satisfied with what we have done until now.

"We must continue to make the most of each workout to prepare as best as possible but overall, I think we can be satisfied tonight what we did."

Serbia and France have played each other late in tournaments the past two summers. The Serbians defeated the French in the Semi-Finals of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup while Collet's team bounced back at last year's EuroBasket, winning their battle for third place to reach the podium.

Serbia coach Aleksandar Djordjevic was equally impressed by his squad's effort as they gear up to host the OQT in Belgrade. Miroslav Raduljica led six Serbian players in double figures with 17 points.

"Perhaps the most important thing is that we won again," Djordjevic said. "We got confirmation of our hard work. I am pleased with the great desire to win, to make sacrifices on defense. A pair of players from the bench have brought great energy. Players are playing together as a team."

Raduljica, who will be a crucial player for Serbia at the OQT and also the Olympics, if they make it to Rio de Janeiro, believed the team had taken a step forward.

"The game was difficult for us," he said. "You've seen the intensity with which we played throughout the game. Congratulations to my team-mates. We played the entire game with desire."

FIBA