SERBIA – NEW ZEALAND Let's Go, Young Eagles! This is What Matters Now /LIVE STREAM/

Following their victory over Ivory Coast, coach Stevan Mijović's squad secured second place in Group D. In the Round of 16, they will face the third-placed team from Group C, New Zealand, on Wednesday at 5 PM CET. The Kiwis suffered losses to Turkey and Puerto Rico but clinched a crucial win against Slovenia in their final group game to advance.

After an evenly contested start, Serbia managed to build a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter, finishing 24:17.

Early in the second quarter, specifically in the 12th minute, Nikola Kusturica's three-pointer gave our team their first double-digit lead at 29:19. The advantage stretched to 11 points on two occasions, but their African rivals managed to close the gap to five points. Nevertheless, Serbia headed into halftime with an eight-point lead after Matija Lukić's three-pointer made it 47:39.

The "Young Eagles" established a crucial lead in the third quarter. Kusturica brilliantly opened the second half, with his teammates joining in, as Serbia went on a 9:0 run to build an 18-point lead (61:43) by the 23rd minute. Our team successfully maintained a significant advantage until the end of the third period (77:59), then further extended their lead in the final ten minutes to a commanding 97:71.

Nikola Kusturica was the most efficient player for Serbia with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

Matija Lukić contributed 16 points (5 rebounds), Petar Bjelica added 13 points (6 rebounds), Luka Galić scored 11 points (7 rebounds), and Lazar Miličić had 10 points. Ognjen Simjanovski's performance also stands out with nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds.