Swiss Déjà Vu and a Basketball Masterclass from the World's Best

With their second victory in two matches against Switzerland, and their third overall in five group games, the Eagles have officially secured their progression to the next stage.

Of course, a sixth clash awaits us in Belgrade against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and since all points carry over to the next group, where Lithuania and Italy await, it's clear that every win holds equal importance.

That's why it was crucial for Dušan Alimpijević's squad to once again defeat the Swiss, who, despite being complete underdogs, once again gave our team a tough challenge.

Switzerland came close to a shocking victory in Belgrade, which would have significantly hampered our team's chances of qualifying for the World Cup. Back then, the opponent was hitting everything in Pionir, sinking threes from half-court, and even held a lead of over 20 points...

Ultimately, Serbia managed an incredible comeback to secure what might prove to be a pivotal victory.

The situation in Fribourg wasn't quite a carbon copy of Belgrade, but it certainly reminded our fans of that match. Switzerland demonstrated their quality, as Alimpijević emphasized after the game, scoring 27 points against us in the first quarter and threatening for a long time to push the game into an uncertain finish. Something we definitely didn't need.

Fortunately, the Eagles stepped on the gas when it mattered most. It's clear that almost everyone, with the exception of Nikola Jokić, is not in peak form, which is completely normal for this time of year.

Because of this, the Eagles managed their energy, started the game a bit weaker defensively, but by the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, they managed to pull away and show Switzerland who one of the world's best teams is.

Of course, everything is much easier when Nikola Jokić is on the team, so it's truly fortunate that the Denver Nuggets' star and the world's best player will also assist in the upcoming match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While everyone else, as previously mentioned, is not in ideal form, Nikola looks fantastic and has shown, despite unnecessary doubts from many, how much he cares about wearing this jersey. To travel to Fribourg after another tough season and secure a victory against Switzerland.

This was a life experience for many players on our opponent's team, as well as for some Eagles, who realized what it means to play with a man who is always a step ahead of everyone. Nikola was brilliant, scoring 22 points, along with 14 rebounds and seven assists. He focused on setting up his teammates and not forcing shots, delivering a true basketball masterclass in Fribourg.

He wasn't the only one performing at a high level, of course; his namesakes Jović and Tanasković followed suit, Aleksa Avramović provided good minutes, as did Jovan Novak, but it's clear to everyone that Serbia is a completely different team when Jokić is present.

We hope Bosnia and Herzegovina will experience that firsthand on Monday.

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