FIBA Europe – Serbia on the move in European basketball

BELGRADE (EuroBasket Qualifying) - Dusan Ivkovic’s Serbia have been one of the most impressive teams in EuroBasket qualifying so far with Saturday’s 72-52 home triumph over Italy leaving them top of Group A at 4-1.

Partizan Belgrade guard Milenko Tepic insisted after, though, that he and his teammates won’t be fooled into thinking the Blues have one foot in the door of next year’s final round.

"After our loss in Finland, we didn't have a right to make a mistake anymore in the remaining games,” Tepic said.

“Even though this looks like an easy win (against Italy) for us, it was not like that since we felt a big pressure before the game.

“I hope that we will win all the games we got left to play and end these qualifications in that way."

Ivkovic, one of the true coaching greats in Serbian basketball history, has done an impressive job.

Even the August 30 defeat to Finland was by a very narrow margin, 80-77.

People are excited in Belgrade, too. There were 14,000 on hand to watch the Blues beat the Azzurri on Saturday.

Serbia have won numerous titles but that was when they were known as Yugoslavia, with the most recent triumph the 2002 FIBA World Championship gold in Indianapolis.

The times have been lean ever since, however.

The country suffered a first-round knockout in Granada at last year’s EuroBasket in Spain.

One reason why the fans are firmly behind Ivkovic is that he has a young squad of unselfish players who are thrilling audiences with end-to-end basketball.

It doesn’t matter which player is scoring the points.

Milos Vujanic, the captain who is the only link to the 2002 Yugoslavia team, had 13 against Italy and was one of only two players to reach double figures in scoring.

As for Italy, they are now in deep trouble.

A team that won silver at the Athens Olympics four years ago is in danger of dropping in Division B.

The best they can hope for this summer is to climb into third place in Group C.

“We have one goal left now - to end third in this qualifying group and to try to get to EuroBasket 2009 through the additional qualifying round," said guard Giuseppe Poeta.

Bulgaria had won their first three games in Group A under new coach Pini Gershon, the former Maccabi Tel Aviv boss, but their 87-86 defeat at Hungary on Saturday has dropped them to 3-2.

Latvia top Group B after a second win in as many games, an 88-81 success at Estonia.

FYR Macedonia, who suffered a buzzer-beating defeat in overtime to Latvia last Wednesday, rolled to an 85-48 win over Portugal.

Turkey has so far been the most impressive team in Group C after following up a big win over Ukraine with a 78-63 triumph at Belgium.

The French, meanwhile, had a 62-54 lead at the start of the fourth quarter in Kiev but Ukraine came from behind to win 78-77.

Valentyn Melnychuk’s team drilled six of their 10 three-pointers in the fourth quarter to win.

“It was hard to convince the players to believe in themselves and to know they can match players from the NBA or from any other league,” Melnychuk said.

“Finally it worked. We are extremely happy.”

Ukraine had to overcome a 30-point effort from France’s Tony Parker.

All four teams in Group D are 1-1.

Great Britain bounced back from their overtime defeat in Israel and trounced the Czech Republic 87-68 and Bosnia Herzegovina, beaten in their opener by the Czechs, won 77-71 over Israel.

The Brits seem to have clinched victory at the Israelis with an 85-83 lead when Nate Reinking fouled Meir Tapiro with less than a second remaining and Tapiro made two free throws to force overtime.

Israel then won the opener 102-92.

Reinking led Britain with 22 points and British coach Chris Finch said after: “I'm delighted for Nate as he was beating himself up for what happened in Israel, but he's such a strong character that it didn't surprise me how well he played."

FIBA