Croatia crushes Israel in World Cup qualifier, advances with dominant win

Croatia delivered a commanding performance, crushing Israel 103-75 in a pivotal FIBA World Cup qualifier held in Osijek. The victory marked the end of the first round of qualifiers for the Croatian national team.

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We closed this qualifying window in a fantastic way. Israel can be a very tricky opponent if not taken seriously. In the end, we imposed our physical game and won by a large margin.

Captain Dario Šarić was instrumental in the win, posting a game-high 17 points, alongside 11 rebounds and 7 assists, earning him the player of the match award. "We closed this qualifying window in a fantastic way," Šarić stated after the game. "Israel can be a very tricky opponent if not taken seriously. In the end, we imposed our physical game and won by a large margin."

Croatia's dominance was evident from the start, building a double-digit lead within minutes and extending it to 25-12 by the end of the first quarter. They held a significant rebounding advantage, outrebounding Israel 45-25, which translated into 38 points in the paint. Seven Croatian players scored in double figures, highlighting the team's balanced offensive effort.

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For things like this, one lives. For me, it would be enough to throw myself on the ground for the national team, let alone get so many shooting opportunities and use them.

Coach Tomislav Mijatović acknowledged that Israel was missing key players, including Avdija, Sorkin, and Blatt, a factor Croatia capitalized on. Despite the lopsided score, Mijatović gave opportunities to players like Antonio Jordano, an Osijek native who scored 13 points in 12 minutes, emphasizing the team's depth and collective effort.

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Israel was missing three very high-quality players like Avdija, Sorkin and Blatt, and we capitalized on that.