Serbia Eliminated by Finland in EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16 Upset

In a major upset at EuroBasket 2025, Finland defeated Serbia 92-86 in the Round of 16, eliminating the Serbian team despite a 33-point effort from NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. Finland's victory was paced by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, who scored 29 points, and Elias Valtonen, who contributed crucial late-game points and clutch shots to seal the win. Serbia, ranked second in the FIBA World Rankings and favored to win, struggled to hold off Finland’s strong second-half surge and offensive rebounding, which included 20 offensive boards. This marks the second consecutive EuroBasket tournament where Serbia exited at the Round of 16 stage, raising questions about their prospects for a title with Jokić on the roster. Finland’s win represents a significant achievement for their national program, which has shown steady improvement in recent years, now advancing to the quarterfinals for the second straight tournament. Despite the loss, Serbia still has opportunities to qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup through upcoming qualifiers.