Serbia speeds through Iceland despite quiet Jokic night

Team Serbia didn’t need Nikola Jokic’s best but they did get a lot from guys named Nikola in their 102-73 win over Iceland in Friday’s World Cup Qualifying match.

Yet Jokic still had a big impact— just without scoring much. He finished with six points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes. The three-time NBA MVP shifted into pure facilitator mode, carving up the Icelandic defense with passes and letting his teammates eat.

And eat they did — particularly the other Nikolas.

Nikola Jovic, the Miami Heat forward, torched Iceland for 21 points in 23 minutes. Nikola Milutinov, the hulking center who held his own against Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert in last week’s exhibition win over France, added 10 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes. And Partizan’s Nikola Tanaskovic led the team with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field through three quarters, looking every bit the emerging scorer Serbia needs alongside Jokic.

It was a comfortable night for a Serbian squad that moved to 5-2 in Group J, and a reminder that this team is deep enough to blow out a No. 44 ranked squad even when Jokic is coasting.

What’s next: Things get real Monday when Serbia travels to Pesaro to face No. 15 Italy at 11:30 a.m. That’s a significantly stiffer test — and likely one where Jokic will need to bring the scoring punch, too. It’ll be his last game for Serbia this summer and it’s a big one for qualifying for next summer’s World Cup.