Aleksander Rasic scored five points in the last 21 seconds to help Serbia edge
Croatia 73-72 in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship Saturday.
Croatian guard Marko Popovic made two free throws with 5 seconds left to tie
the game at 72, but Rasic was fouled by Davor Kus as he attempted a shot with 1
second left.
Rasic made a free throw and Croatia was eliminated when Popovic?s full-court
shot fell short as time expired.
?The game was very, very tough this night,? Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic
said. ?It was necessary to play 40 minutes just to beat a very good team like
Croatia.?
Rasic finished with 15 points for Serbia. Popovic led Croatia with 21
points, and Roko-Leni Ukic and Marko Banic 10 apiece.
?I?m not satisfied that we have made just the round of eight,? Ivkovic
added.
Croatia was 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, while Serbia hit 5 of 15.
Serbia made eight of its first eleven field goals in the first major
international basketball game between the Balkan neighbors who fought a war in
the early 1990s. But Croatia outrebounded Serbia 10-2 and took a 27-19 lead
going into the second quarter.
Serbia narrowed the gap to 34-36 at halftime, and in the third quarter the
teams traded the lead eleven times.
Serbia took a 65-57 advantage with three minutes left in the game, but
Popovic had seven points down the stretch to lead Croatia back.
After Popovic missed his last attempt, he slid into the opposing bench, and
laid still, face down, as the Serbs celebrated. Serbian coaches helped him
stand.
?You can?t be happy when you lose like this,? Croatia coach Josip
Vrankovic said. ?It?s a really hard game, but what can we do??
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