Basketball: Serbia hammers Angola in World Cup opener

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - European basketball powerhouse Serbia trounced Angola 105-59 in the Chinese city of Foshan to claim the first win in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup began on Saturday.

Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic -- now playing for NBA's Sacramento Kings -- was the top performer for his country, scoring 24 points against Angola.

In addition to Bogdanovic, Serbia's Nikola Jokic and Nikola Milutinov scored 14 points each at Foshan International Sports and Cultural Arena, helping Serbia to a comfortable win.

Serbian center Boban Marjanovic, towering at 7 feet and 3 inches (222 cm), grabbed 12 points and had 10 rebounds in the Group D match.

Angola guard Carlos Morais was the top scorer for his team, producing 15 points. Angolan forward Leonel Paulo scored 10.

The tournament is set to last through Sept. 15, bringing a record 32 countries together to compete for the title, including Turkey.

Joining the tournament for the fifth time, Turkey will face Japan, the U.S., and the Czech Republic in Group E.

In 2010, the Turkish basketball team posted their best World Cup tournament yet when they met the U.S. in the final. The U.S. won that game 81-64, with Turkey laying claim to the number two honors.