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.
.@KSSrbije 🇷🇸 playing with 2 centers is a cheat code 💯! #ANGSRB #SrbijaGotGame@NMilutinov
— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2019
📽 https://t.co/U6RPjwM4Dr pic.twitter.com/wLHcLN4B15
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.
Tough finish for Josh Okogie. Bricked a 3, turned it over, & then committed a slow-feet foul that gave Russia its go-ahead FTs. Nigeria blew an 8-point, 4th-quarter lead & lost by 5 in a critical game. #FIBAWC
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) August 31, 2019
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.
THAT'S HOW YOU TIP-OFF THE #FIBAWC 💯. ABSOLUTE MADNESS 🔥. #IRIPUR #PuertoRicoGotGame @fbpur 🇵🇷
— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2019
📽 https://t.co/U6RPjx3FuZ pic.twitter.com/EJiFkX3nGf
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.
Yi Jianlian (19pts) & China 🇨🇳 showed up in their 🏡 !#ChinaGotGame#CIVCHN pic.twitter.com/zbDJiT0K5X
— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2019
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.
.@rickyrubio9 showing off some finesse... 👌 #ESPTUN #EspañaGotGame @BaloncestoESP 🇪🇸
— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2019
📽 https://t.co/U6RPjwM4Dr pic.twitter.com/sA8V6H27jR
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.
