The 2025 EuroBasket Round of 16 kicked off with a massive upset that left the basketball world in shock. Many considered Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, as one of the favorites to win the tournament. Serbia was expected to handle Finland with ease, but Lauri Markkanen and his Finnish squad had other plans.
Finland shocked everyone with a 92-86 victory over Serbia, knocking the favorites out of the tournament in a stunning upset. The win was so unexpected that FIBA called it the “Upset of the Century” on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Fans React to Serbia’s Elimination
The elimination of Nikola Jokic and Serbia sent waves through the basketball community, and fans quickly shared their reactions online. Some fans were in disbelief, while others were critical of Serbia’s performance.
“Unreal… I can’t even comprehend,” one fan wrote. Another fan simply remarked, “Can happen to anyone. Nothing special.”
One fan expressed frustration with Lauri Markkanen’s talent being wasted on his current team, saying, “Lauri’s just like that, the Jazz are wasting his prime.”
“This is huge,” wrote a shocked fan, capturing the magnitude of the upset. Others pointed fingers at Serbia’s head coach Sasa Pesic, with one fan criticizing, “It is crazy how Pesic doesn’t play through Jokic.”
Many fans felt that Finland was more prepared for the game, with one fan writing, “Finland seemed prepared for this game.”
Overall, the reactions were mixed. While many fans praised Finland for their well-executed game plan, others blamed Serbia for their lack of preparation and failure to execute against a tough Finnish team.
Nikola Jokic Reflects on Serbia’s Defeat
As expected, Nikola Jokic was the standout performer for Serbia, finishing the game with a game-high 33 points. However, his individual brilliance wasn’t enough to prevent the defeat, and Serbia was eliminated from the tournament in the Round of 16 for the second straight year.
In an interview with ESPN, Jokic expressed his disappointment, acknowledging that his team wasn’t ready for the challenge. “They played a great game. From the start, we didn’t come ready. I just wasn’t ready from the jump,” Jokic said. “We knew what they were doing, we prepared well, we watched film, still they managed to just be better and more physical than us.”
Jokic took responsibility for the loss, reflecting on the team’s inability to execute their game plan effectively. The loss marks a bitter end to Serbia’s EuroBasket campaign and another early exit from the knockout stages.
This defeat also marked Finland’s first win over Serbia since 2009, making it an even more monumental achievement for the Finnish national team. With Jokic heading into a long offseason, all eyes will now be on how Serbia plans to bounce back after this disappointing exit.
