FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019: Scores and highlights from Day 1

Scott Rafferty

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019: Scores and highlights from Day 1 image

The first day of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup has come and gone.

There were eight games in total on Day 1, headlined by Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic suiting up for Serbia and a wild finish between Puerto Rico and Iran.

Check below for scores and highlights from each game.

Serbia 105, Angola 59

Serbia led from start to finish, powered by a game-high 24 points (8-10 FG) from Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic made an impact in his limited minutes, going for 14 points (4-5 FG), six assists and five rebounds. Dallas Mavericks centre Boban Marjanovic did as well with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench.

Poland 80, Venezuela 69

Five players scored in double figures for Poland, led by Michal Sokolowski, who finished with a game-high 16 points (7-9 FG).

Russia 82, Nigeria 77

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Okogie had a big game for Nigeria with 18 points (4-10 FG, 7-9 FT). But unfortunately for Nigeria, he struggled down the stretch.

Italy 108, Philippines 62

Italy cruised to victory behind a perfect game from former Detroit Pistons forward Luigi Datome, who scored 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting from the field.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari was Italy's second-leading with 16 points (5-6 FG).

Puerto Rico 83, Iran 81

This one came down to the wire, with Puerto Rico rallying back from a 19-point deficit to win at the buzzer.

David Huertas dominated for Puerto Rico to the tune of 32 points (13-19 FG).

China 70, Cote d'Ivoire 55

The No. 6 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft,  Yi Jianlian scored a game-high 19 points (7-12 FG) for China.

Spain 101, Tunisia 62

An impressive showing from Spain. Phoenix Suns guard Ricky Rubio almost had a double-double with 17 points (6-11 FG) and nine assists while Toronto Raptors centre Marc Gasol chipped in with 10 points (5-11 FG) and six rebounds.

Argentina 95, Korea 69

31 points (10-21 FG) and 15 rebounds from Korea's Guna RA wasn't nearly enough to overcome Argentina's balanced attack.

Five players scored in double figures for Argentina, including former Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola, who finished with 15 points (5-15 FG) and nine rebounds.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.