Nikola Jokić’s Serbia entered the 2025 Eurobasket event because the consensus favorites to win Europe’s most important worldwide basketball occasion exterior of the Olympics. They’ll as an alternative depart empty-handed due to a historic upset by a Nordic nation, led by its personal NBA All-Star.
With 29 factors from Utah Jazz ahead Lauri Markkanen, Finland, ranked twentieth on the earth getting into this event, upset Jokić’s Serbia 92-86 within the Spherical of 16, sending Jokić’s crew dwelling on this spherical for the second consecutive Eurobasket event.
Jokić led Serbia with 33 factors and eight rebounds, however struggled to defend in area late within the fourth quarter. After Jokić’s two free throws gave Serbia a 77-75 lead with just below 5 minutes to play, Finland ripped off a 14-4 run to seal its victory. Elias Valtonen, Finland’s small ahead who Jokić usually switched onto to keep away from choosing up his fifth foul, drained a three-pointer with 1:59 remaining, secured a putback layup a possession later and nailed one other right-wing triple over Jokić to provide Finland a decisive six-point lead with lower than a minute left. Finland grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, together with 4 apiece from Markkanen and Valtonen.
FINLAND ARE UP BY 6#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/P7E8d5716w
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 6, 2025
Led by Markannen, Finland’s nationwide program has skilled a resurgence lately. It reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 Eurobasket event and ultimately completed seventh, its highest end since incomes sixth place in 1967. It didn’t attain the Olympics in 2024 however stunned many by reaching the ultimate of the qualifying event earlier than dropping to Spain. This victory over Serbia, although, is by far essentially the most vital in program historical past.
In the meantime, Jokić and Serbia should ponder one other disappointing Eurobasket end. After incomes bronze within the 2024 Olympics, Serbia introduced a stacked roster to this event, led by Jokić and 9 different gamers with NBA expertise. As The Athletic’s Zach Harper wrote in his event preview: “There may be a lot high expertise on this squad that there actually isn’t a purpose to anticipate something lower than a gold medal.” Regardless of an damage to Bogdan Bogdanović, its most adorned worldwide guard and sidekick to Jokić, Serbia had greater than sufficient firepower to compete for the gold. As a substitute, Serbia will undergo a Spherical of 16 defeat as soon as once more, having misplaced to Italy in 2022 after profitable its 5 group stage video games.
FINLAND HAS COMPLETED ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS IN THE HISTORY OF BASKETBALL#EUROBASKET pic.twitter.com/4QQrJzkCjV
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 6, 2025
Finland will now play the winner of Sunday’s Spherical of 16 matchup between France and Georgia within the quarterfinals.
(Photograph: Christina Pahnke – sampics / Corbis by way of Getty Photos)
