OPQT's: Poland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina to step towards Semis; Portugal upset Hungary

GLIWICE/ TALLINN (Poland / Estonia) - Co-hosts Poland enjoyed another memorable night in front of the Gliwice fans by taking  down Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Portugal kept their Olympic flame burning.

Here's your wrap of how the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament unfolded on the third day of action.

Poland impress as they get it done against Bosnia and Herzegovina

After the tight win against Hungary, the hosts had a way better showing in the most anticipated game of the Tournament in beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 85-76 to move to the top of Group B.

Igor Milicic’s team were inspired by their leader Mateusz Ponitka, who had an all-around game of 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Michal Sokolowski contributed with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

An 8-0 run by Bosnia to reduce to a three point margin at 57-54 had everybody on their seats for a balanced end of the encounter. However, from then on Poland went on a 19-1 run to shut down the doubts before the end of the fourth quarter.

Jusuf Nurkic was the best baller for the Balkan side, delivering 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Dzanan Musa put up 13 point and 6 assists in the loss. They will now need a victory against Hungary to avoid problems in progressing.

Portugal produce the upset against Hungary

There was a joyful and unexpected night for Portugal after surprising Hungary 86-74 off the back of a powerful start and an even more impressive 8-0 run in the fourth quarter to help seal the deal.

Diogo Brito top scored with 17 points for Portugal

Rafa Lisboa conducted the offense with 7 dimes, Diogo Brito added 17 points, while 22 points were shared by Goncalo Delgado and Candido Sa close to the basket, to put a lot of smiles on Portuguese faces. Meanwhile signing with BAXI Manresa to play in the Basketball Champions League, Travante Williams could still enjoy a celebration of victory despite a rough shooting night.

These are scary times for Hungary, as the 7 of 25 from beyond the arc converted into a back-to-back loss as they put one foot over the elimination line. David Vojvoda was the top scorer in defeat with 16 points.

Next up? It could turn into one of the best basketball games in recent memory for the Portuguese national team as they get set to go up against Poland.

Top Performers

Mateusz Ponitka was the player we all witnessed at EuroBasket 2022, going very close to a triple-double in the impressive victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina and going home with the highest performance efficiency valuation of Day 3 at 28.

Michal Sokolowski started the game hot with several three-pointers way before half-time, boosting Poland straight from the beginning. He finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to help beat Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Jusuf Nurkic struggled from deep going 1 of 5, but delivered the best performance for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a losing effort. He had 17 points and 8 rebounds, ending with a performance efficiency valuation of at 20.

Goncalo Delgado didn’t contribute with as many points as Diogo Brito, but still delivered the highest performance efficiency valuation of Portugal’s win. He scored 11 points and had 6 rebounds in only 16 minutes on the floor.

Aleksandar Lazic followed the Portland Trail Blazers’ center by scoring 15 points in the 85-76 defeat against Poland, being the player with the second-highest efficiency on his national team ahead of Dzanan Musa and Edin Atic.

Photo of the Day

All eyes on them: Portugal surprises Hungary and even Polish fans in Gliwice stopped by to capture some autographs from Candido Sa and his Portuguese teammates.

FIBA