Serbia turn a close game into a 102-73 victory over Iceland

Iceland opened with a 5-0 run and led after the first quarter. Serbia changed the rhythm before half-time, but the visitors remained close until the last ten minutes.

Iceland made the stronger start

Iceland opened the game with a 5-0 run and soon led 7-2. Nikola Jovic answered with five consecutive points and then found Aleksa Avramovic for the basket that moved Serbia ahead 9-7. The first quarter remained open because Iceland continued to make shots and finished it with a 27-25 advantage. Serbia trailed early and changed the rhythm before the decisive final quarter.

Serbia's distribution reduced the burden on one creator. Tanaskovic, Jovic and Guduric all reached 17 points, while Jokic's 13 rebounds and six assists supported possession quality. That balance made it harder for Iceland to solve the fourth quarter by stopping only one player. It also allowed the hosts to keep attacking after substitutions. The box score describes different contributions that fit the same 102-point total.

Serbia changed the game before half-time

The second quarter gave Serbia its first sustained advantage. The home side improved its defensive positioning and used rebounds to start attacks before Iceland could set its defence. Serbia won the period 27-15 and reached half-time with a 52-42 lead. That ten-point gap came from one strong quarter, not from a steady lead across the whole first half. Iceland had already shown that it could punish slow defensive returns.

The slow first quarter remains a useful warning before Italy. Serbia allowed Iceland to reach 27 points and spent the opening minutes recovering from a five-point deficit. Better starts would reduce the need for a late surge against stronger opposition. That lesson does not weaken the completed win. It explains why the staff can be satisfied with the finish and still identify a clear part of the performance that needs attention.

The third quarter kept the contest alive

Iceland won the third period 19-18 and reduced the margin by one point. Serbia still led 70-61, but the visitors remained within a run that could have changed the closing minutes.

The hosts avoided forcing difficult shots and continued to move the ball. This phase is important when explaining the match because it shows that the decisive separation had not yet happened. The nine-point lead was useful, but it was not a finished result.

The final quarter also showed the value of Serbia's bench rotation. Fresh players maintained pressure when Iceland needed a response, and the hosts avoided giving the visitors a long scoring run. The wider contribution supported the late separation without changing the individual totals already listed.

A 32-12 final quarter decided the result

Serbia increased the pressure at both ends during the last ten minutes. Stops created cleaner possession starts, and the attack reached strong positions without relying on one scorer. The 32-point quarter was Serbia's best of the night, while Iceland managed only 12. The final margin grew to 29 points because of that closing period. It would be inaccurate to describe the entire match as a 29-point difference from the beginning.

Tanaskovic and Jovic led the scoring

Nikola Tanaskovic scored 23 points and Nikola Jovic added 21. Marko Guduric contributed 17, giving Serbia three scorers with a substantial share of the total. Nikola Jokic finished with six points, 13 rebounds and six assists. His line shows how he influenced possessions without being the leading scorer. The rebounding and passing figures helped Serbia create extra attacks and find teammates in better positions.

The quarter scores tell a consistent story

The official line was 25-27, 27-15, 18-19 and 32-12 from Serbia's perspective. Those figures add to the confirmed 102-73 result. They also remove any confusion about when the game changed. Serbia took control in the second quarter, Iceland kept contact in the third, and the home team ended the contest with its strongest period. All quarter scores in the table belong to the match in Belgrade.

Italy is the next qualifying opponent

Serbia's next World Cup qualifying game is against Italy in Pesaro on Monday, 31 August, at 19:30. The Italy fixture was still ahead when the qualifying schedule was published. The completed information concerns Iceland: Serbia earned the win and improved its position in Group J. The slow start against Iceland gives Serbia a separate lesson before the match with Italy.