NBA News August 31: Wemby dominates, Jokic takes on Italy

The World Cup qualifying window is increasingly turning into a showcase of NBA players across Europe. Victor Wembanyama dominated in front of a record crowd in Stockholm, Lauri Markkanen recorded a double-double in just three quarters, and Dennis Schroder decided Germany-Poland at the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Mario Hezonja’s Croatia continues to score at a record-breaking pace in the World Cup qualifiers.

Today, it’s Nikola Jokic’s turn as he takes on Italy.

Wembanyama needs seven shots to dominate

Perhaps the most absurd statistic of the night isn’t Victor Wembanyama’s 18 points.

It’s the number of shots. Seven.

The Spurs star finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal, shooting 6-of-7 from the field in France’s 84-69 win over Sweden. For much of the game, the Swedes actually managed to execute their game plan. They defended him physically, tried to deny him the ball and forced France to find different solutions.

A problem: Wemby can make an impact without constantly touching the ball. With five minutes remaining, Sweden was actually leading 65-64. Then the French star knocked down the three-pointer that put France ahead, before using his presence around the rim to shut down virtually everything on the other end.

Game over.

Nearly 15,000 fans show up to see Wemby

There was also a rather special atmosphere surrounding the game. 14,750 spectators packed Stockholm’s Avicii Arena, setting a new record for a basketball game played in Sweden and the fifth-highest attendance in the history of the European World Cup qualifiers.

And there’s a good chance a large portion of those people were there specifically to watch Wembanyama. It’s another small sign of what he is becoming.

Not just France’s most important player, but a true global attraction, capable of turning a late-August World Cup qualifier into an event.

Markkanen: double-double before the fourth quarter

If Wemby needed seven shots, Lauri Markkanen needed just three quarters to complete his double-double. Finland defeated Estonia 96-67, with the Finnish star finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds in just 26 minutes.

After the home loss to Sweden, a response was needed, and Markkanen didn’t waste much time delivering one. By the end of the third quarter, he had already reached 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the game was essentially over.

Schroder decides Germany-Poland

Another story that seems to repeat itself virtually every summer: a close Germany game, the ball in Dennis Schröder’s hands.

The reigning world champions defeated Poland 96-94 in overtime, ending the Poles’ seven-game winning streak. Schröder finished with 18 points and 5 assists.

But the important number came in the final seconds. With 17 seconds left, the German captain went to the free-throw line and knocked down the free throws that ultimately decided the game.

Once again, we’re not necessarily talking about his most spectacular performance with the national team. But we are talking about yet another game in which, when Germany has to decide who will make the biggest play, the answer is always the same.

Dennis Schröder.

Hezonja’s croatia just won’t stop scoring

And then there’s a national team that apparently decided to turn its offensive settings all the way up. Croatia defeated the Netherlands 101-99 and surpassed the 100-point mark for the fourth consecutive game.

No team in the history of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, across all regions, had ever accomplished that. This time, the main protagonist was Dario Saric with 24 points and 6 assists, but Mario Hezonja remains one of the symbols of this incredible offensive version of Croatia.

Hezonja has already recorded four 20-point games during the qualifiers and became the first player in European Qualifiers history to record a triple-double (vs Cipro).

Now it’s Jokic vs Italy

And the qualifying window isn’t quite over yet. Today at 7:30 PM in Pesaro, Italy will face Nikola Jokic and Serbia.

The Azzurri are coming off a loss to Bosnia, where Jusuf Nurkic essentially did whatever he wanted in the paint. And the good news is that the level of difficulty is now only increasing a little bit.

From Nurkic to Jokic. Easy.

There is, however, a recent history that can at least provide Italy with some positive memories: Italy has beaten Serbia in their last three official meetings, including the 2023 World Cup and, most notably, the EuroBasket 2022 elimination.

This time, once again, the best player in the world will be on the other side. And after an August filled with NBA-level performances across the national teams, it’s difficult to imagine a more intriguing way to close out the window.

NBA News by Dunkest returns tomorrow with all the latest stories from around the NBA.