KOPER (Slovenia) - The madness continues on day two of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, with Estonia snatching the victory from the jaws of defeat with a stunning 94-93 in overtime win against Slovenia in a wild finish.
Estonia had the lead for most of the game, but a late surge saw Slovenia take a two-point lead with 3.6 seconds left on the game clock in the fourth quarter.
It was their youngest member, the 17-year-old phenom Stefan Joksimovic getting the go-ahead bucket at 79-77.
But coach Heiko Rannula had saved a timeout and used it to draw a beautiful set for Henri Drell. The lob pass was executed to perfection, and the forward had an easy task of sending the game to overtime.
That's where Gregor Hrovat took over, with a pair of three-pointers and two free throws, it looked like he earned Slovenia a win as they led by four points with less than 10 seconds left.
However, Drell cut the gap with an offensive rebound and a layup, Slovenia turned the ball over and it bounced perfectly for Estonia's talismanic leader Kristian Kullamae.
Of course, it was his favorite spot on the floor, right side three-pointer, and he knocked it down to set the final score at 94-93.
Slovenia had one last shot. Hrovat's three-pointer fell short, while Alen Omic's tip-in came after the final buzzer.
FIBA