Ukraine tops Group I after win over Montenegro, Serbia beats Italy
Ukraine defeated Montenegro 98:89 on the road to move into first place in Group I of World Cup qualifying, while Serbia beat Italy 76:64.
In European World Cup qualifying, Ukraine controlled most of the game in Podgorica, at one point leading by 18 points, before closing out a 98:89 road win over Montenegro. Utah Jazz guard Svyatoslav Mykhailiuk led Ukraine with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Oleksandr Kovliar and Dmytro Skapintsev each added 15 points. Ukraine was highly efficient at the free-throw line, converting 36 of 41 attempts (88%), and also shot 40% from three-point range. Montenegro's naturalized guard Yogi Ferrell, who has played more than 250 NBA games for Budućnost, scored 22 points. Latvian referee Martins Kozlovskis was among the officials. The win made Ukraine the new leader of Group I, though it sits just two wins ahead of last-placed Montenegro in a tightly packed standings.
Serbia cruises past Italy
In the battle for second place in Group J, Serbia led for most of the game in Pesaro and beat Italy convincingly, 76:64. Aleksa Avramovic top-scored with 20 points, while Marko Guduric added 19. Nikola Jokic played 24 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Nikola Jovic fouled out in the middle of the third quarter after picking up a technical foul. Italy struggled from two-point range, making just 10 of 27 attempts, though Niccolo Mannion scored 23 points despite seven turnovers. Latvian referee Ritvars Helmsteins also officiated the match.
Other results
Georgia stunned previously in-form Portugal on the road, 98:90; Portugal had earlier defeated both Greece and Spain. Tornike Shengelia led Georgia with 26 points and six rebounds, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 22 points and six rebounds, and former VEF player Rati Andronikashvili contributed 20 points. Turkey continued its dominant run in Group J, crushing Iceland 110:73 on the road. With an 8-0 record, Turkey — aside from host nation Qatar — became the first national team to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
