Eurobasket 07 - Serbia vs Russia 03/09

03 September 2007
Russia Overwhelm Serbia

If someone had any doubts about Andrei Kirilenko's performance in this EuroBasket after a sub-par NBA season, then the opening night of EuroBasket sent out a big message.

The Russian forward led his team to a key 73-65 win in the tournament's opener against Serbia on Monday night in Granada's Group A game.

Kirilenko finished the game with 24 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and drew seven fouls, but every play he made was in the best timing to keep his team on the winning side.

Serbia had a bad shooting night.

Darko Milicic was shutdown by a great defensive team effort by Russia, and was representative of Serbia's poor shooting, connecting on just two of his 13 shots.

His front line teammate Zoran Erceg converted only a single free throw shot of his six attempts to symbolize Serbia's poor form from the line (58%).

Russia stormed the court from the first moment to take a 9-0 lead after three minutes, before Marko Jaric scored the first points for Serbia.

Russia's team play was on display from the very beginning as four players shared the first 11 points of the team.

Kirilenko collected seven points by the end of the first quarter when his team took a 21-13 lead, but didn't think about stopping.

Serbia couldn't find any answer for the aggressive Russian defense and by the 13th minute David Blatt's guys were already doubling Serbia's points, 31-15 after J.R. Holden connected a mid range shot.

That was when the Russian machine took a rest.

For the next 5:20 Russia added only three points, all from the charity stripe, but Serbia was still struggling and used that to reduce the game to only 10 points, 34-24.

Another small push by Serbia made it just a six point game, before Nikita Morgunov sealed the half with a key mid-range shot, not his last in the game, to make it 38-30 after two quarters.

After shooting only 37% from two-point range and a miserable 43% from the line in the first half, Serbia was still down by only eight, and had a reason to be optimistic but the first minutes of the second half changed that feeling.

Milos Teodosic hit three points from the line to make it just a five point game, and then Kirilenko stepped up.

He accounted for four points in a row, drew the third foul from Zoran Erceg and with a downtown arrow capped a 10-0 run to make it 48-33 after 25 minutes, only to see his team fall asleep again.

Teodosic hit another three pointer to start a Serbian 13-0 run, and make it just a two point game, but now it was time for Kirilenko to step up again.

With two minutes to go in the third Milan Gurovic missed a three pointer that could have give Serbia the first lead of the night, and saw Kirilenko show how to do it with an and-1 play, and the gap was back to five, 51-46, on the way to a 54-48 Russian lead with 10 minutes to play.

With the game slowly running away Serbia made one last effort.

Russia held a 70-63 lead with 1:38 to play when Milicic posted up, but once again Kirilenko came for the help and blocked his shot away.

Morgunov, once again, was there to hit the clutch shot, this time from long range, to make it a ten point game and decide the game.

"If we don't win tomorrow then today's win means nothing," said Russian's coach, David Blatt referring to the game against Israel that can secure Russia a spot in the next round.

Serbia will face the champs from Greece in the second game.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Eurobasket
• 07
• Serbia
• Russia
• Andrei
• Kirilenko
• Darko
• Milicic
• Marko
• Jaric
• Milan
• Gurovic
• Milos
• Teodosic
• Victor
• Khryapa

[CCCPKPSS]

wtf russia vs serbia no such thing were the same people

[djamnik]

serbia isn't the poorest country in europe, funnily enough its Albania.

response to "ethnicalbanian"s comment.

[aeg12p]

Serbia has this:

Yugo

Car accidents

And it isnt the poorest country +1

Thumbs up if you are from SRB!

[Shilllzz]

@ethnicalbanian Why is Serbia a shit hole? That is my only question to you. Your fighting with me about Serbia and how its the poorest country in Europe, when its not true and you trolled a vid with nothing to do about Albania.

[ethnicalbanian]

@Shilllzz Hahaha... Seriously, you have got to be the dumbest living motherfucker. Haven't you ever heard of abbreviations? What schools have you attended? Have you been to school at all? Your stupidity is kinda funny too. Fact of the matter is... Serbia is the biggest shit hole in Europe.. Deal with it bitch. Stop complaining and bitching. Intelligence? This is where you show your intelligence? If this is all you got, well god damn it you're fucking retarded. Fucking Loser get a fucking life.

[Shilllzz]

@ethnicalbanian Your one to be talking about living in houses made of mud and shit lol. Were do you live. Have you been to Albania. Its Like the Turks took a shit and called it Albania. You still live in huts you monkeys. I'm retarded, look a your spelling and your intelligence. Your knowledge of the Balkans and the war are poor and quite pathetic. If you want to troll on Serbian videos I am not gonna stop you but try to bring up an intelligent argument and not something pathetically made up.

[ethnicalbanian]

@Shilllzz The stupidity Serbs show is so freaking amazing. Fascinating as well, amusing u name it Serbs can do a good job at it. Hahaha Ur retarded Cunt Milosevic Could of ended the war before it even started instead he waited 78 nights or so. How can u not call Serbs dumb as fuck? That wasn't an invitation? Where the fuck do u live? Have u been through Serbia lately? I have and it looks like shit. They still live in houses made of mud and shit.

[Shilllzz]

@ethnicalbanian Lol Serbia isricher than Albania. Statistics, read them, if you can. Your talking about not being biased. Hahahah. You also said Milosevic asked Nato to bomb Serbia? your probably one of the Stupidest people that have ever commented about Serbia and Milosevic. If your not biased then your fucking stupid you troll. Lol why you watching Serbs play. Are you Jealous?

[ethnicalbanian]

@Shilllzz I have the balls to admit the truth about anyone. I am not biased like Serbs are.

[Shilllzz]

@ethnicalbanian You have the balls to talk about other peoples countries being poor. Albania is the poorest country in Europe. Its hard to admit the truth but deal with it.

[MegaLazar96]

I LOVE RUSSIA JUST LIKE MY MUM AND DAD! MAN SERBIA AND RUSSIA BROTHERS FOR EVER!!! SERBIA + RUSSIA = <3

[MegaLazar96]

@Amerussia YEAH MAN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!