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"I won't talk about myself, sorry!" Jokic refused to answer a question, then clearly stated: We felt at home!

The Serbian national basketball team secured a victory in Fribourg, defeating Switzerland 97:73 in the fifth round of the World Cup qualifiers. After the match, Nikola Jokic, captain of the Eagles, addressed the media.
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  • You could follow the Switzerland - Serbia match live on Sportal
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Serbia secured a crucial victory in Switzerland, officially advancing to the next stage and taking a significant step towards qualifying for the FIBA World Cup.

Nikola Jokic dominated in Fribourg with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists, proving instrumental in the triumph.

Following the game, Jokic addressed the media.

Good evening, everyone. I believe this press conference should focus on this victory and the team. We didn't start well; I'll only talk about the game, not about myself, sorry. We didn't enter the game well, we didn't utilize the small fouls effectively. We were aggressive when we shouldn't have been, and not aggressive enough when it was needed. We were too passive when we should have been more aggressive. In the first half, we didn't control the rebounds. However, towards the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, the five players on the court played phenomenally. They brought immense energy and completely changed the course of the game. That's when we took the lead and practically sealed the win in our favor.Nikola Jokic
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Jokic stated that it felt as if the Eagles were playing at home.

We definitely felt like we were playing at home. The atmosphere, the fans, and everyone who came to support us were our sixth man tonight, and we are immensely grateful to them. This is why we play – to hear our language, our songs, our anthem, to see our flags, and feel the support of our people. The emotions throughout the entire game were truly very strong.Nikola Jokic

Finally, he emphasized that this is a unique competition where there are no clear favorites or underdogs.

I remember the coach saying before that in these qualifiers, there are no favorites or underdogs. This is a specific competition; all players perform at a high level, and a few scoring runs or easy baskets can completely change the game's momentum. We were prepared for them. I believe we controlled the match almost the entire time, with a few minor mistakes at the end. We have great respect for our opponent, but we didn't allow them to surprise us.Nikola Jokic

Serbia will conclude the first group stage on Monday when they host Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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