While Spain lost the group lead in Zaragoza, Georgia delivered a devastating blow in Tbilisi. Georgia routed Montenegro 101-74 in the opening game of the second phase of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, inserting itself firmly into the fight for Group I
Interior game on another level
Aleksandar Dzikic's team won the game where it needed to win. Toko Shengelia set the tone from the start with 24 points and seven rebounds, Goga Bitadze added 23 points and eight boards, and Sandro Mamukelashvili completed an all-around performance of 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The three combined for 64 points: more than enough to make the game a foregone conclusion.
The detail is not insignificant for readers here. Shengelia, captain and cornerstone of the Georgian project, is in his first season away from the Liga Endesa after paying nearly one million euros to terminate his Barcelona contract and sign with Dubai under Xavi Pascual. At 34 years old, with a past that includes Valencia and six seasons at Baskonia, he remains the player who sustains Georgia in every window.
Support came from naturalized point guard Marcquise Reed, with 12 points and eight assists. For Montenegro, which fell well short, the leading scorers were Yogi Ferrell (12), Igor Drobnjak (11) and Jovan Kljajic (11).
How Group I stands after this matchday
The first matchday of the second phase has left Spain's group unrecognizable. With the victory, Georgia moves to 4-3 and ties with Montenegro. Combined with Spain's loss to Portugal and Ukraine's win over Greece, the standings now look like this:
- Spain 5-2
- Ukraine 5-2
- Portugal 4-3
- Montenegro 4-3
- Georgia 4-3
- Greece 3-4
In other words: six teams separated by two wins, three spots for the World Cup and five matchdays remaining. Spain holds the shared lead and has the head-to-head advantage over Ukraine and Greece, but lost it to Georgia in the final matchday of the first phase, and just ceded it to Portugal as well. In such a tight group, those tiebreakers will decide as much as the games themselves.
On Monday, the second matchday: Spain visits Greece in Athens at 18:00, Georgia hosts Ukraine and Portugal plays Montenegro.