Serbian stars shine in NBA preseason: Bucks lean on rising talent, Jovic hits double figures in Florida derby

The Uzice-born prospect, snapped up by Milwaukee with the 47th pick in the NBA draft following a breakout campaign with Mega, delivered a remarkably mature and gritty display. His extended court time made it clear that the Bucks' coaching staff are seriously considering him for the regular rotation.

Bogoljub Markovic spent 14 minutes on the floor in the overtime victory, coming close to recording his first preseason double-double. The young power forward wrapped up the night with seven points and eight rebounds.

Although his perimeter shooting deserted him (2-of-6 from two-point range, 1-of-5 from deep), his high-energy rebounding and active off-ball movement on both ends of the floor drew plenty of praise.

Milwaukee was propelled to victory by Tyler Herro (25 points), with Brayden Burries contributing 14 points and seven rebounds. For the defeated Pacers, Pascal Siakam led the way with 24 points, while franchise star Tyrese Haliburton recorded 17 points and six rebounds.

The Miami Heat suffered a heavy 136-115 defeat on the road against Orlando in the all-Florida matchup. Nevertheless, Serbian international Nikola Jovic was a major bright spot for the Heat.

Jovic looked full of confidence throughout the contest, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds, and an assist. The young forward posted remarkable shooting efficiency—converting 2-of-4 inside the arc, a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

Ryan Conwell led Miami in scoring with 23 points, while Orlando's winning effort was spearheaded by the impressive Paolo Banchero, who posted 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

The third Serb to take the court on Friday night was Nikola Jokic, who once again stole the show with a sensational assist to power the Denver Nuggets past the Los Angeles Lakers.

The fourth Serbian representative in the NBA, Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, had a tougher outing as his team suffered a narrow 129-125 defeat against the Detroit Pistons.