Euro Cup Daily Preview: Six Teams Secure Early Qualification as Jokic, Sengun, Schroder, and Markkanen Chase Fourth Straight Win

EuroBasket Daily Preview: Six Teams Secure Early Advancement, Spotlight on Jokic, Sengun, Schroder, and Markkanen in Pursuit of Fourth Straight Wins

September 1, Beijing Time — The EuroBasket group stage action continues with six teams already punching their tickets to the Round of 16 with perfect 3-0 records: Serbia, Turkey, Germany, Finland, Greece, and Poland. The remaining squads will now battle fiercely for the last available spots.

18:30 – Sweden vs Montenegro

After suffering back-to-back defeats to Finland and Germany in their opening games, Sweden bounced back in Round 3 with a crucial win over Great Britain, keeping their qualification hopes alive. To stay on track, they must overcome Montenegro, with the return of Larsson and Birgander offering a much-needed boost.

Montenegro, meanwhile, are in dire form, reeling from three straight losses by a combined margin of 77 points. To salvage their Round of 16 ambitions, they will need a complete mental and tactical reset.

Head-to-head in official competition: tied at 1-1.

19:45 – Estonia vs Turkey

Estonia opened with a heavy loss to Serbia, then narrowly fell to Latvia by just two points before reigniting their campaign with a win over the Czech Republic. They still have a fighting chance to advance.

Turkey have been nothing short of dominant, dispatching Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Portugal with ease. Alperen Sengun has been sensational, averaging 19.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, firmly establishing himself as a tournament star and a gold-medal contender.

Their only previous EuroBasket clash was back in 1993, when Estonia pulled off a 77-74 upset over Turkey.

21:30 – Germany vs Great Britain

Germany have looked unstoppable so far, comfortably defeating Montenegro, Sweden, and Lithuania. In their win over Lithuania, Dennis Schroder, Franz Wagner Jr., and Daniel Theis combined for an impressive 73 points.

Great Britain, on the other hand, have lost three in a row. While there’s still a slim mathematical chance for progression, realistically, back-to-back wins over Germany and Montenegro seem far-fetched.

Interestingly, Great Britain hold a 3-0 record against Germany in official competition, with their last victory coming in EuroBasket 2013. That was also their most recent EuroBasket win—since then, they have endured a 14-game losing streak in the tournament.

23:00 – Portugal vs Latvia

Portugal stunned the basketball world by beating the Czech Republic in the opening game, but momentum quickly faded after heavy defeats to Serbia and Turkey. Against Latvia, victory is essential to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Latvia, considered one of the tournament’s biggest disappointments, have only scraped past Estonia. Against Serbia, they had no answers for Nikola Jokic, and Alperen Sengun dominated them in another outing. Kristaps Porzingis has underperformed, and the rest of the squad has failed to step up.

Portugal lead the all-time series 2-1, but their last meeting dates back to 2008.

01:30 – Finland vs Lithuania

Finland started slow with a narrow win over Sweden but have since found their groove with two commanding victories, clinching a Round of 16 berth. Lauri Markkanen is on fire, averaging 32.3 points per game—second only to Luka Doncic (33.0 PPG).

Lithuania began with blowout wins over Great Britain and Montenegro but were brought down to earth with a heavy 88-107 loss to reigning world champions Germany. Missing key players like Domantas Sabonis, their defensive shortcomings have been exposed, making it tough for them to challenge for top honors.

Remarkably, despite numerous friendly encounters, this will be the first official meeting between Finland and Lithuania.

02:15 – Serbia vs Czech Republic

Serbia have already secured a spot in the knockout stage with a perfect record, but they’ll be without Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has withdrawn due to a torn hamstring—a significant blow to their campaign. Against the Czech Republic, Nikola Jokic is expected to see reduced minutes in preparation for a crucial upcoming clash with Turkey.

For the Czech Republic, the path is steep—they must beat both Serbia and Latvia to stay alive, a near-impossible task given their current form. The team lacks a clear leader, with Vit Krejci failing to meet expectations, averaging just 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 26.9% shooting.

In four previous official meetings, Serbia have emerged victorious every time.