MANILA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nikola Vucevic showcased his dominance on the FIBA court as the Chicago Bulls center lifted Montenegro to a 91-71 opening victory over Mexico in the FIBA World Cup here on Friday, while the Philippines conceded a narrow defeat in front of their home fans.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup, co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, features 32 teams in eight groups.
In Group D, Montenegro and Mexico were tied at 19-19 after the first quarter, before Montenegro opened up a nine-point lead at the break. After Petar Popovic made back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter, Montenegro raced into a 16-point lead. There was no miracle in the fourth quarter as Bosko Radovic's men protected their lead.
Vucevic registered a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Kendrick Perry provided 16 points. Pako Cruz led Mexico with 16.
"It was very important to start the tournament with a win against a team that doesn't necessarily suit us. They played fast, high tempo, but we responded well. Everything we talked about in the last couple of days as a team, in the meetings and practices, we executed really well. It's a very good win, although we started a little bit nervous," said Vucevic.
In another Group D fixture, Egypt posed no real threat to Lithuania as the European powerhouses led all the way to a 93-67 win.
Italy survived from a scare as Angola showed their resilience in the first three quarters, but Italy grabbed an 81-67 victory in the Group A curtain raiser, with Simone Fontecchio picking up 19 points and five rebounds.
After almost four tight quarters, the Philippines collapsed in the closing stages and conceded an 87-81 defeat against the Dominican Republic.
Jordan Clarkson of the Philippines scored 28 points before fouling out, while Karl-Anthony Towns proved decisive for the Dominican Republic by delivering 26 points and 10 rebounds.
At Japan's Okinawa Arena, Australia got off to a good start by sailing past Finland 98-72 in Group E, with 20-year-old point guard Josh Giddey taking center stage with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, becoming the first player to have more than 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first World Cup game since LeBron James in 2006.
"I had no idea, but as I always say it's cool to be in company with guys like that. But it's always about the group, it's always about the team. We're lucky to have a deep, 12-man team. I play great, I play bad, what matters is we win the game. We did that tonight. That's what makes me happy," said Giddey.
Also in Group E, with four players scoring in double digits, Germany eased past Japan 81-63. Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic provided 25 points for Germany.
In Jakarta, Latvia delighted their fans with a comfortable 109-70 victory over Lebanon in Group H, while in a later game, Canada thrashed France 95-65. ■
