“One of my friends says there are no friendly games, only preparation games,” Nikola Jokić said after Serbia’s first game against France in Belgrade.
The muffled, but not exactly brief, laugh from Serbia head coach Dušan Alimpijević gave us good reason to suspect he might just be the friend Jokić was talking about.
Three days later in Orléans, in front of more than 10,000 fans, we got proof that he had a point.
The intensity wasn’t far off what you’d expect in a major tournament, before Frédéric Fauthoux’s team eventually prevailed on Hoard’s last-second basket – 91–90.
Serbia showed they could adjust on the fly – and, just as importantly, refused to fold.
Down 19 at halftime in a friendly… sorry, preparation game, plenty of teams might have thought it was over.
Instead, Serbia cleaned things up.
Sharper passing. Better energy. Plenty of pick-and-pop. Better shots followed – and so did the percentages.
For the second game in a row, Nemanja Dangubić gave Serbia exactly what you want from a player coming off the bench – and knocked down two shots that aren’t usually part of his repertoire. Nikola Tanasković contributed in much the same way.
But the driving force behind Serbia’s fourth-quarter comeback was Nikola Jović.
The Rebounds That Made the Difference
Once Jokić got some help, he began to look even more comfortable. His shots started falling more regularly, and by the middle of the fourth quarter Serbia had turned the game around to lead 76–72.
The box score doesn’t always tell you how a game was won or lost. This time, though, one number is hard to ignore: France won the rebounding battle 35–25.
And precisely when Serbia had opportunities to take control, several excellent defensive possessions went unrewarded because they couldn’t finish them with a rebound.
France kept getting second chances – and Sylvain Francisco made sure they paid off.
Starting this time after coming off the bench in Belgrade, Francisco showed exactly why he was one of Europe’s most sought-after players this summer. He repeatedly broke down Serbia’s first line of defense and helped put the hosts back in front.
The closer the game got to the finish, the more it began to look and feel like the real thing.
The officials treated it that way too, calling plenty of fouls down the stretch.
For a moment, it looked as though Marko Gudurić’s late points might settle it.
Instead, Serbia produced an inexplicably poor final defensive possession.
With 4.5 seconds left, Hoard somehow ended up all alone at the rim for the easiest of game-winners.
91–90.
Some preparation game.
The Weight on Jokić’s Shoulders
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Wembanyama played a much more team-oriented game than he had in Belgrade, finishing with 18 points and five rebounds.
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, who did not play in the first game, scored 19, while the aforementioned Francisco led France with 20.
And this is a frighteningly deep French team – one that was still missing Guerschon Yabusele and Élie Okobo.
Serbia, of course, were without several major pieces of their own – most notably Bogdan Bogdanović, Vasilije Micić and Filip Petrušev.
Still, Alimpijević can be satisfied with what he saw from these two tests against France – both in terms of effort and the basketball itself.
The weight on Jokić’s shoulders is enormous – as both Serbia’s primary creator and its primary scorer.
The numbers tell you something about it: Jokić took no fewer than 24 shots from the field, making 10.
Even with Denver, you don’t see that very often.
He finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. This time, Nikola Milutinov wasn’t there either to allow him a little more rest.
Nikola Jović was the only other Serbian player in double figures with 13 points. After a disappointing season with the Heat, he needs games like this.
Gudurić finished with 11 and briefly took over point-guard duties late in the game.
Jovan Novak looked tentative in both games against France, so it would hardly be surprising to see Gudurić spend even more time at the point alongside Aleksa Avramović once the competitive games begin.
Serbia Under Pressure, France Almost There
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After a summer without competitive basketball, neither team could have asked for much better preparation for the qualifiers.
France are 5–1 and already have one foot at the World Cup in Doha.
They host Slovenia before travelling to Sweden. They will be overwhelming favorites in both games and should have their World Cup ticket secured by the end of this window.
Serbia are under considerably more pressure.
Their record stands at 4–2 after two defeats to Turkey.
Iceland come to Belgrade Arena on Friday. A Serbian victory shouldn’t be in doubt, but there can be no room for complacency.
Stranger things have happened in FIBA windows.
At the same time, Serbian fans will be keeping a close eye on Turkey against Lithuania – and firmly supporting Turkey. Lithuania and Iceland currently sit below the qualification line at 3–3.
Three days later, the Eagles travel to Pesaro.
Waiting for them will be Italy, currently 5–1.
And Serbia owe them one.