Heat’s Nikola Jovic helps push Serbia to World Cup championship game, but it won’t come vs. USA
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic will again play a game with championship stakes.
After Jovic’s rookie NBA season with the Heat ended three wins short of an NBA title in June, he will play a leading role for Serbia’s national team in Sunday’s FIBA Basketball World Cup championship game against Germany in the Philippines.
Jovic helped Serbia (6-1) reach the championship round of the World Cup for the second time in tournament history by scoring eight points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field in Friday’s impressive 95-86 win over Canada. Jovic also added one rebound and one assist in 19 minutes on the court against a Canada roster filled with NBA talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks and Kelly Olynyk.
The World Cup championship round won’t feature a Heat vs. Heat element, though, after Team USA was upset by Germany 113-111 in the semifinals on Friday. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is serving as an assistant on Team USA, which will face Canada for bronze in Sunday’s third-place game.
Jovic’s potential and growth has been on display this summer as a 20-year-old with an intriguing combination of size and skill at 6-foot-11.
Through Serbia’s first seven World Cup games, Jovic has averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the field and 10 of 22 (45.5 percent) from three-point range in a starting role.
Jovic is Serbia’s third leading scorer in the tournament, with Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic leading the way with 19.4 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting from the field. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic is not playing for Serbia in the event, instead opting for rest after leading the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship.
“He’s one player who we see improving in the moment, not only because he’s 20,” Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic said Friday of Jovic’s play in the World Cup. “He can play many different positions on defense and offense. He needs to play. He’s improving. I think this is the first of his success.”
Jovic, who was drafted by the Heat with the 27th overall pick last year, has been mentioned as a potential trade piece in a possible deal for Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard.
With Jovic’s hectic summer coming to an end Sunday whether Serbia wins or loses the gold medal game, he’ll have less than a month before NBA training camps begin.
The Heat is scheduled to hold its annual media day on Oct. 2 before beginning training camp on Oct. 3. The Heat opens the preseason on Oct. 10 and the regular season on Oct. 25.
