Serbia takes down Canada to book World Cup finals ticket

Serbia is heading to the 2023 FIBA World Cup finals.

On Friday, world no. 6 Serbia took down Canada, 95-86, in the World Cup semifinals to punch the first ticket to the finals.

The Serbians relied on a strong first half and ended it in their favor, 52-39, before the lead ballooned to 17, 80-63, early in the final frame.

Bogdan Bogdanovic paced Serbia with 23 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Nikola Milutinov posted 16 points and 10 rebounds. 

RJ Barrett led Canada with 23 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Dillon Brooks added 16 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 15 points. 

Serbia will wait for the winner of the semfinals match between Team USA and Germany to determine their finals opponent.

Serbia most recently appeared in the finals during the 2014 World Cup where they fell to the United States. Back in 2019, Serbia finished fifth. 

Canada, who had their highest finish in this edition of the World Cup, will play the loser of the USA-Germany semis on Sunday for the third place game.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News