Portugal Dominates Montenegro 83-62 in World Cup Qualifier

Portugal’s national basketball team secured a convincing victory against Montenegro, winning 83-62 in their opening match of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers held in Group D. The game, played on October 6, 2023, highlighted Portugal’s dominance, particularly during a pivotal stretch in the third quarter.

In the early moments of the game, Montenegro briefly held the lead. However, Portugal quickly established control, culminating in a decisive 20-0 scoring run that pushed them ahead 59-37 by the 26th minute. From that point, the match became increasingly challenging for the Montenegrin team, which struggled to keep pace.

Despite a late surge from Montenegro that reduced the deficit to 14 points at 68-54 in the final quarter, they could not maintain the momentum. Portugal’s consistent performance allowed them to eventually extend their lead to a remarkable 24 points, sealing the game well before the final whistle.

Portugal’s scoring was led by Travante Williams, who contributed 16 points, while Rikardo Monteiro added 13. On the Montenegrin side, Marko Simonović was the standout performer with 13 points, followed closely by Jovan Kljajević with 11, and Kendrick Perry, who scored 10.

The Montenegrin team faced additional challenges with the absence of key players like Petar Popović and Igor Drobnjak, which hampered their performance in the second half. The young squad struggled to respond to Portugal’s aggressive style of play, leading to a disappointing start to their qualification campaign.

Looking ahead, Montenegro will aim to regroup as they prepare for their next match against Romania on October 8, 2023. The team will need to address their recent shortcomings if they hope to bounce back in the qualifiers for the upcoming World Cup.