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The FIBA World Cup 2023 is off to races with its second day of the group stage. There will be a total of eight games featured on 26 August 2023 as teams compete to win the group stage.
Let's look at the five best games to watch on 26 August 2023.
#5, Jordan vs. Greece
While the "Greek Freak" is not playing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he will still be rooting for his country and his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo in this game.
Greece is coming into the group stage after losing four out of their six tune-up games. However, two of those losses came against USA and Germany who are amongst the top five teams this year.
Greece did manage to defeat Luka Doncic-led Team Slovenia, which is impressive and could make quite an impact on Greece's confidence moving forward.
As for Jordan, they will feature the former G League Dar Tucker. Tucker won the G League Most Improved Player award in 2011 and was the leading point scorer for Jordan in FIBA Asia qualifiers, averaging 19.8 points per game.
With no runaway NBA stardom in Jordan, Tucker will get a spotlight to shine against Greece. Freddy Ibrahim will also be a strong second star next to Tucker. Ibrahim averaged a team-high 7.3 assists per game in the qualifiers.
#4, Spain vs. Cote d'Ivoire
Spain is one of the most exciting teams to watch and this game will be on everybody's radar in Europe. Spain was ranked fourth in the latest FIBA World Cup 2023 power rankings and will look to win the game with minimum fuss.
The player to watch in this game will be Rudy Fernandez. Despite being 38 years old, there is a lot that Fernandez can contribute to while on the court.
As a European professional, Fernandez is amongst the best basketball players in history with two world titles (2006, 2019), four EuroBasket crowns (2009, 2011, 2015, 2022), and three Olympic medals - two silvers and a bronze.
This might be his last FIBA World Cup which adds to the anticipation behind this game.
#3, Serbia vs. China
The Serbia national team will look to overcome China in the group stage. There will be players like Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic who will feature on the Serbian national team, who won four of their five tune-up games. This gives them ample confidence and momentum going into the game against China.
One of Serbia's recent tune-up games on 20 August 2023 was against China. Serbia defeated China in a monstrous 87-64 victory. This game is still fresh on their minds and will likely play into player psychology.
This game will be an exciting game to watch as China tries to avenge their recent loss. However, China has had an array of painful losses, especially one to Germany in a 107-58 rout. They will have to summon up all the courage to give Serbia a run for their money.
Ultimately, Serbia should be able to come out on top with a win behind their star players in what will make for an exciting World Cup matchup.
#2, Slovenia vs. Venezuela
The Slovenia team will feature their star player Luka Doncic, which will make for an exciting game. There is perhaps no bigger entertainer on the international stage in the 2023 FIBA World Cup than Doncic, outside of Team USA.
The 24-year-old has already made an impact during the tune-in game and will look to build on it.
The game itself might not be a close one. However, rest assured, Doncic is sure to create some magic and give the fans a few highlight plays.
Slovenia did win only three of their seven World Cup tune-up games though. Doncic has performed well in both losing and winning efforts for Slovenia, which means that his performances alone will not allow them to defeat Venezuela. Other players will have to step up alongside him.
As for Venezuela, they will rely on experience rather than talent alone. In the past, Venezuela players like Cubillan, Colmenares, Guillent, Vargas, Ruiz, and Graterol, all helped Venezuela defeat Argentina to win the 2015 AmeriCup title.
While they don't have a star to the likes of Luka Doncic, they can still compete at a high level given the stage of his game.
#1, USA vs. New Zealand
Team USA is the favorite to win the FIBA World Cup 2023 and will look to open the tournament with an impressive win. It should be a fairly easy win for Team USA given the talent they have on their team.
Fans will highly anticipate another big night from Anthony Edwards. The young Minnesota Timberwolves' star finished with 34 points in his previous outing against Germany after being down by 16 points in the game.
Edwards shot 11-21 from the floor, 4-8 from three, and 8-8 from the line. Edwards had an important clutch 3 that eventually led the Team USA to a 99-91 win over Germany.
Alongside Edwards, fans will also expect big performances from Austin Reaves, Brandon Ingram, and Jalen Jackson Jr. Overall, it should be a good outing for Team USA and likely one of many wins to come in the 2023 World Cup.
