Heavily criticized Lithuania earns vital World Cup qualifying win

Lithuania needed a response after its 66-94 loss to Turkey a few days earlier. It found one in Vilnius, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 78-73 in a closely contested World Cup qualifier.

Bosnia led 23-20 after the opening quarter and held a 46-42 advantage at halftime. Lithuania changed the flow in the third quarter, winning it 19-12 and taking a 61-58 lead into the final period. The hosts held on through a tight finish.

Azuolas Tubelis again stood out for Lithuania, scoring 23 points and collecting five rebounds. Augustas Marciulionis contributed 16 points and five assists. Bosnia’s leading scorers were NBA players Jusuf Nurkic, who scored 20 points for the Utah Jazz, and Luka Garza, who added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Boston Celtics.

The result leaves Lithuania third in Group J after eight games, with four wins and four defeats. Bosnia and Herzegovina is fifth among the six teams with three wins and five losses. The top three teams will qualify for the 2027 World Cup.

Lithuania’s remaining schedule includes home games against Serbia and Turkey and away matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In another game, Greece beat Spain 108-106 in overtime, with Tyler Dorsey and Konstantinos Mitoglou scoring 29 points each.