Bogdan Bogdanovic happy to lead Serbia with World Cup semis slot secured

No Jokic, no problem as the Serbians are thriving behind the ‘instinctive’ leadership of their star and team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic.

In a game where they were entering as the underdogs, Bogdanovic led the charge and turned the tables on their side as they defeated Lithuania, 87-68, in the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.

The Serbian star on Wednesday scored a team-high 21 points, pulled down 3 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and stole the ball twice in a little over 27 minutes of action. More importantly, he assured his team of a semifinal appearance in the World Cup.

“Sometimes I don’t know how to behave in these moments. It’s just coming out of me. A lot of emotions. A lot of great players, great leaders of this country. And I’m just happy in that position. But as a player, we’re just all the same in the locker room," Bogdanovic humbly said after their win.

The Atlanta Hawks guard is having a stellar tournament so far, with all-around averages of 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists;,doing everything to provide offensively, while getting his teammates involved.

Since their only loss in the competition against Italy, Bogdanovic has bounced back with a blistering 80 percent shooting from the field. Despite these impressive numbers, he insists he can still get better.

“I play the game of basketball with instincts. Sometimes I’m crazy, sometimes I shoot too much, I know. But it’s me. Tonight was the night. I hope I play like this until the end of the tournament. I’m always trying to prove and always to improve as well. I like the way I play(ed) tonight but I still think I could play a little better," he said.

Bogdanovic, who said he was nervous prior to their match against Lithuania, said they gave their all to the match as they also dedicated the win to their teammate Borisa Simanic.

“Score says 20 points, but the effort that we put in and the energy, we really gave like 300 percent. We gave all that we had.”

Bogdanovic and the Serbian squad will face Canada in the semifinals on Friday, and admitted that they need to get back on track as soon as possible.

“That’s how the tournament works. We cannot relax now. We can celebrate this win. But as soon as the night is over tonight, tomorrow, we have to regroup," Bogdanovic said on Tuesday.

"That’s what I learned from previous experiences. Successful or unsuccessful, it’s the same. You just have to be prepared, recover, and get ready for another tough game,” he added.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News