Nikola Jokić faced a clear strategic bet from Latvia: turn him into a scorer, shrink passing windows, and live with contested twos. The response was emphatic. By establishing deep seals and mixing face‑ups with short‑roll touches, Jokić posted a national‑team career high and broke the defensive dam late. Serbia spaced the floor to discourage digs, and when help did come, he punished it with cutters and mid‑post kick‑outs.
Latvia’s plan had merit—remove the table‑setting and test whether shot volume would disrupt Serbia’s rhythm—but Jokić’s efficiency collapsed that margin. The game also spotlighted Serbia’s defensive shape, which held up against a three‑happy offense in a high‑stress environment. If there was a blueprint for slowing Serbia, it grew murkier in Riga.
As brackets near, expect teams to vary the first defender and increase ball denial to force catches away from preferred spots. Few bigs, however, bend coverages so completely.
The group phase runs from August 27 to September 4 across Riga (Group A), Tampere (Group B), Limassol (Group C) and Katowice (Group D). The Round of 16 is single-elimination on September 6–7, followed by quarterfinals on September 9–10, semifinals on September 12, and the final on September 14 in Riga. Twenty-four teams play five group games each, with the top four in every group advancing. These dates and the multi-host setup are defined by FIBA for EuroBasket 2025 and shape the tactical choices teams make during the first week.
