Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Bryan Kalbrosky

Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro gave Team USA the biggest scare of the FIBA World Cup thus far

Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic nearly led Montenegro to a massive upset over the United States at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Montenegro led Team USA, 39-38, at the end of the first half. But they did not have quite enough left in the tank to secure the victory in what finished as an exciting second-round game between the two national teams.

USA eventually won the game, 85-73, after an especially strong second half from Anthony Edwards.

Vucevic, however, still made a remarkable effort in this solid performance. He finished with 18 points (8-of-19 FG, 1-of-3 3P) and 16 rebounds with 2 blocks and just 1 foul after more than 26 minutes of action.

It was arguably the best match any individual player has had against Team USA at any point during the tournament thus far.

Montenegro (2-2) has a game scheduled against Greece (2-1) at 4:40 AM EST on Sept. 3 as well. Team USA (4-0) will next face off against Lithuania (3-0) at 8:40 AM EST on Sept. 3.

Among those four teams, the two with the top overall record after two rounds will advance to the quarterfinals at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.