Finland Stuns Serbia, Lithuania Joins Quarterfinal Field at EuroBasket
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September 6, 2025 — Finland delivered a major EuroBasket shock on Saturday, eliminating Serbia 92-86 in an opening knockout game played in Riga.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen powered the upset with 29 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. “Unreal,” Markkanen said after the win. “We needed every single one of them tonight—the fans, the staff, the players.”
Serbia entered the tournament among the title favorites, led by two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and six other current or former NBA players. The team lost guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to a ruptured hamstring last week but still cruised through its first four games. Serbia slipped to second place in Group A after a defeat to Turkey on Wednesday and never fully recovered.
Jokic finished Saturday with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Nikola Jovic added 20 points. Serbia found little additional scoring and remains without a EuroBasket medal in Jokic’s career.
Finland will face the winner of Sunday’s France-Georgia matchup in the quarterfinals.
Lithuania Ousts Latvia
Earlier Saturday, Lithuania secured an 88-79 victory over Latvia to reach the quarterfinals alongside Turkey and Germany. With guard Rokas Jokubaitis sidelined by a severe knee injury, Arnas Velicka paced Lithuania with 21 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Azoulas Tubelis and Deividas Sirvydis each posted 18 points, with Tubelis also pulling down 12 boards.
Latvia exited despite a standout effort from Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis, who recorded 34 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out. Porzingis said he has largely overcome last season’s illness that affected his play with Boston and felt strong as the tournament progressed.
Lithuania’s next opponent will be decided Sunday when Greece meets Israel.
Source: HoopsRumors
