Character. Winning mentality.
Important qualities for any sports team, but words that have been used so relentlessly that they have almost lost their original meaning. Phrases we reach for when there is nothing better left to write.
Every once in a while, though, a game comes along when even the biggest basketball expert, analyst or tactician has to admit that the game was won with…
Character.
Winning mentality.
Heart.
One of those games was played on Monday night in Pesaro.
After three consecutive painful defeats to Italy in major games – the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, EuroBasket 2022 and the 2023 World Cup – Serbia finally beat the Italians.
76-64.
When the Body Says No, but the Player Says Yes
“Jokić has been very sick for the last three days. He received a lot of IVs, including today. He refused to give up and leave his team,” Serbia head coach Dušan Alimpijević said after the game.
Jovan Novak was sick as well. He stayed with the team, was an important part of the preparation and then knocked down a three at the first-quarter buzzer.
Italy never led again.
Then there was Nikola Milutinov.
Giampaolo Ricci fell on his leg, but knowing the problems Jokić was dealing with, Milutinov returned to the floor.
He became the key defensive factor during the first half of the fourth quarter. Milutinov locked down the paint, and Serbia allowed just two points in the opening five minutes of the final period.
That was, effectively, when the game was decided.
When Character Stops Being Just a Phrase
Building a national-team culture – or a cult, as we like to call it in Serbia – reveals its true value in moments like these.
From a purely basketball standpoint, this team showed glimpses of the kind of mentality required to do big things.
The offense wasn’t working. Open shots weren’t falling, especially in the first half, while Jokić couldn’t impose himself on the game the way he usually does, partly because of Luca Banchi’s game plan.
There was frustration, too. Some refereeing decisions got under Serbia’s skin, to the point where even players who rarely talk to officials began protesting calls.
But there was no discouragement.
No panic.
No giving up.
Serbia responded by turning up the pressure defensively.
The Guys Who Changed the Energy
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Arijan Lakić and Nemanja Dangubić set the tone defensively, particularly against Simone Fontecchio.
Both have made a serious case for a place even when Serbia is at full strength.
The same can be said of Nikola Tanasković.
Let’s not forget that it was Tanasković who delivered the crucial road win over Bosnia and Herzegovina – a victory that looks even more important now. He has also shown that he can complement Serbia’s most important players.
Nothing forced, and a major contribution on the glass.
“They gave us energy – Lakić, Dobrić, Dangubić, Tanasković…” captain Jokić said. “I think they were the ones who gave us extra possessions, extra points and extra energy, and that was important for the rest of our team.”
Gudurić at Point Guard – More Than an Emergency Solution
The most consistent presence throughout the game was Marko Gudurić.
He finished with 19 points in his own way – a combination of three-pointers, patient drives to the basket and almost monastic calm at the free-throw line.
Perhaps even more important in the long run, considering Serbia’s shortage of point guards, Gudurić showed that the team can function well with him at the one.
That could matter well beyond one night in Pesaro.
And Then – Aleksa
Finally, the man who decided the game.
Aleksa Avramović.
Few players can swing from one extreme to the other quite like Avramović, and Monday night was a perfect example.
For the first three quarters, he was probably the worst player on the floor.
Then he showed…
Yes, you guessed it.
Character.
The same kind he has shown so many times before.
In a grinding, defensive battle, Avramović started manufacturing points out of nowhere.
He scored 15 in the fourth quarter alone.
“We all give everything for this crest and treat every game as something special,” an emotional Avramović said.
“We know how many problems Italy has caused us. We’d lost five of our last six games against them. As one of our friends would say, ‘They had our phone number,’ meaning they always knew how to play against us.
“But tonight was our night.”
One Big Step Closer to the World Cup
Serbia has taken a huge step toward the World Cup.
At 6-2, Alimpijević’s team sits second behind unbeaten Turkey. Italy follows at 5-3, Lithuania is 4-4, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland are both 3-5.
But this is far from over.
In that context, Avramović’s move to EuroCup side Bahçeşehir becomes particularly important. He will be available for the November window, when Serbia travels to Lithuania before hosting Italy.
Dušan Alimpijević can return to his duties with Beşiktaş with a smile.
There is no room to relax yet.
But it is beginning to feel like something very nice is taking shape.
