(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Finland Stuns Serbia with 92-86 Upset in EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16
RIGA, Latvia — In one of the biggest surprises of FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Finland (Susijengi) delivered a stunning 92-86 victory over Serbia in the Round of 16, sending one of the title favorites crashing out of the tournament.
The historic win marks Finland’s first triumph over Serbia since 2009 and secures their place in the Quarter-Finals for the second consecutive EuroBasket. Meanwhile, Serbia faces another Round of 16 heartbreak, echoing their 2022 elimination against Italy.
🔑 Turning Point
Finland set the tone early with an 11-1 run, later stretching the lead to 16-5 in the first quarter. Serbia managed to tie the score 28-28 in the second quarter but failed to sustain momentum, trailing 48-44 at halftime.
Heading into the final period, Finland led 68-66 and never looked back. With the game hanging in the balance, Elias Valtonen hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, scoring 8 points to put Finland up 87-81 with under a minute left.
🌟 Player of the Game
Elias Valtonen may have only scored 13 points, but his late-game heroics earned him TCL Player of the Game honors. He also contributed 4 rebounds and 3 assists, cementing his name in Finnish basketball history.
Supporting him was Lauri Markkanen, who dropped 29 points and 7 rebounds, while Mikael Jantunen added 15 points and Miro Little impressed with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
For Serbia, Nikola Jokic put up 33 points and 8 rebounds, and Nikola Jovic added 20 points — but it wasn’t enough.
📊 Key Stats
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Offensive Rebounds: Finland dominated the glass with 20 offensive boards, keeping possessions alive.
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Serbia’s Shooting Struggles: Serbia hit only 29% from three-point range, failing to punish Finland’s defense.
🏀 Bottom Line
Finland snapped an eight-game losing streak against Serbia, improving to 2-7 all-time. This historic win not only propels them into the top eight for the second straight EuroBasket but also proves their growing strength on the European stage.
Next up, Finland will face the winner between France and Georgia in the Quarter-Finals. Serbia, once again, heads home far earlier than expected.
🎙️ They Said
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Elias Valtonen, Finland: “Amazing night. We just believed in each other today and made it happen. I stepped up and shot with confidence.”
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Sasu Salin, Finland: “I’m just the happiest guy in the world because we advanced.”
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Svetislav Pesic, Serbia coach: “We couldn’t find solutions for their offensive rebounds. That was the key.”
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Nikola Jovic, Serbia: “From the start we didn’t come ready. Their 20 offensive rebounds were just unacceptable.”
