MANILA —Serbia got a huge win over the erstwhile unbeaten Lithuanian squad, 87-68, in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Serbians shot 55% as a team in their 19-point win, 63.2% from the two-point area, and 40.9% from beyond the arc. They dealt Lithuania its first loss in six games and also prevented them from advancing into the next round.

But for team star Bogdan Bogdanovic, they have to quickly move on from this game as they enter the semifinal phase of the tournament on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“That’s how the tournament works. You cannot relax,” commented the 6-foot-5 shooter on the World Cup’s win-or-go-home playoff rounds.

“We can celebrate this win tonight, but once the night is over, tomorrow, we have to regroup,” he stressed.

The squad will be entering its first semifinal round since 2014 as they were eliminated by Spain in the 2019 edition of the tournament, which is why the Atlanta Hawks shooting guard is staying laser-focused after advancing to this year's Final Four.

“We have to get ready, watch Canada vs. Slovenia, and get ready for our next opponents. That’s what I’ve learned from previous experiences, successful or unsuccessful, it’s the same,” the former Sacramento Kings standout said.

“You just have to be prepared, recover, and get ready for another tough game.”

Whether it will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Doncic he will be facing, the former 27th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft maintained that his team will be ready as they look to book a ticket to the finals and have a chance to take home the gold.

“This game, [we led by] 20 points, but the effort that we put in and the energy, we really gave like 300% percent. We gave all that we got,” he said.

“We are ready to compete more.”

For more stories on the FIBA World Cup, click here.

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more News on iWantTFC