Nikola Milutinov on Jokic and Giannis: 'They're the two best players in the world' / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Milutinov talked about the game between Serbia and Greece, giving the highest praise to its biggest stars, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Credit: FIBA Media Credit FIBA Media

Nikola Milutinov had been struggling with an injury a few weeks prior to the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

Player of the Game EFF 28 Nikola Jokic Points 29 Accuracy 11-16 Rebounds 8 Assists 6

Luckily for Serbia and coach Svetislav Pesic, the experienced big man managed to overcome the hump and turn into one of his team's main pillars in a hard-fought win against Greece in Belgrade on Thursday night.

In the absence of Boban Marjanovic and while star center Nikola Jokic was resting on the bench, Milutinov was exceptionally efficient in his 15-minute stay on the court. 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4/7 from the field, 4/5 from the free-throw line demonstrate what the player of CSKA Moscow gave to Serbia in a game that went to overtime.

While he was playing, Milutinov did not only dominate the paint (mostly) against Kostas Antetokounmpo, but also had the chance to witness first-hand a historical clash involving the NBA's two last MVPs. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo battled it out for 45 minutes, and although the Greek Freek outscored his opponent 40-29, it was the Denver Nuggets center that had the last laugh, as Serbia won 100-94 and kept their World Cup chances alive.

"I think it's an honor for both countries and for all of us to be playing alongside the two best players in the world right now," Milutinov told gazzetta.gr after the game.

"This is not only my opinion, but it's also reflected in their accolades over the last four years, with Nikola succeeding Giannis as back-to-back MVP and Antetokounmpo already having won an NBA title. There's no point in saying much about their value, they showed once again what they can do."

The 28-year-old Serb had faced Giannis Antetokounmpo three years ago in the Acropolis Tournament, when Serbia outlasted Greece 90-85 in overtime. Now, he can tell the difference between the two versions of the Greek forward.

Nikola Milutinov

Position:CAge:27Height:212 cmWeight:100 kgBirth place:SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

"Giannis has become unstoppable, improving incredibly from year to year. I remember that in relation to the summer of 2019, he has reached unimaginable heights in his dominance on the court. That can also increase Greece's chances ahead of the EuroBasket," the Serbian center thinks.

Talking about Nikola Jokic, who's ready to participate in his first major tournament with Serbia after the 2019 World Cup, Milutinov called him "a very special personality."

"He leads by example, in terms of working very hard. At practice, he always comes first and leaves last, being tremendously competitive and showing all of us how we have to play. When the difficult times come, he comes forward and takes the responsibility, defying the fatigue or any damage to his body.

He makes us all feel very comfortable, playing next to him", said Milutinov, who after the victory over Greece, is more optimistic about Serbia's future.

"It was really an amazing feeling to participate in such a great game and I am glad that in the end we won, because we needed that result at all costs," he admitted.

"Although I think we dominated most of the match and had to win in normal time, at this level and against such a strong opponent, you're not allowed to relax even for a second," he concluded

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