Game 5 Preview: Great Britain VS Montenegro

GB’s final game of FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will be against Montenegro at 11:30 am (BST) on Wednesday, 3 September.

Montenegro won their first game of the competition on Monday, when they defeated Sweden 87-81 in a tight fixture.

Here’s everything you need to know before GB’s final game of Pool B tips off.

GB suffered defeat in their most recent EuroBasket game, where they faced reigning world champions and in-form Germany.

GB are yet to taste victory at the competition and the game against Montenegro provides them an opportunity for this.

Positives from GB’s campaign thus far include:

Veteran Myles Hesson coming into form, leading GB in scoring in their last couple of games, and striking home from distance on a consistent basis.

Akwasi Yeboah has shown during the preparation tour and throughout the tournament his ability to explode offensively. His 17-point performance against Lithuania, an elite defensive side, puts him alongside Hesson for the most points scored by a GB player at this tournament.

Captain Carl Wheatle has been the metronome for GB throughout, lifting his teammates through his leadership and defensive intensity. The athletic prowess he has shown, both in blocking shots and dunking through contact, bodes well for GB.

Jubrile Belo’s performances have proved a bright spot for GB. The 27-year-old centre has established himself as an offensive threat in the paint and off the catch, whilst his rebounding numbers have been impressive.

Wheatle is shooting 90.9% from the free throw line

Montenegro’s leader and captain, Nikola Vucevic, is a force to be reckoned with.

The 6’10” centre is a 14-year NBA veteran and has averaged 17.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over his career. Able to dominate in the paint and accurate from three-point range, he is averaging 18.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, whilst shooting 58.3% from behind the arc.

The indomitable big man has confirmed this will be his last international competition, and thus, with qualification in the balance, he will be determined that if this is his final showing on the international stage, he will go out with a bang.

Young point guard Igor Drobnjak has enjoyed an outstanding campaign at the EuroBasket this summer.

Putting up 12.5 points and 2.8 assists a night, he starred in Montenegro’s win against Sweden, alongside Vucevic.

His ability to play alongside Montenegro’s stacked frontcourt has seen his game flourish, weaving between the opposition to finish at the rim or provide for his teammates.

Another one of those talented frontcourt players is 6’11” centre Marko Simonovic.

Simonovic is a fantastic rebounder and scorer, capable of playing alongside Vucevic or backing him up.

GB will have to be on high alert to ensure Simonovic and Vucevic do not dominate the glass, bringing second-chance opportunities for Montenegro.

Montenegro celebrate in win against Sweden

Montenegro lost their first three fixtures at the EuroBasket before defeating Sweden on Monday.

They suffered wide margins of defeat in all three of their losses, by a minimum of 20 points, before shoring up their defence to claim victory over Sweden in a tightly contested affair.

Sweden led with less than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, before Montenegro went on a 10-4 run to close out the match.

Montenegro currently sit in fourth place in Group B, meaning they will qualify for the next stage of the competition as things stand. However, in order to make mathematically sure and avoid a Swedish victory over Lithuania, knocking them out of the tournament, they will need to beat GB on Wednesday.

Montenegro only began to compete as its own basketballing nation in 2008, and has qualified for five of the six subsequent tournaments since.

They have finished thirteenth in the last two editions of the tournament, and will be looking to build on that record before their talisman Vucevic retires from international basketball.

Bojan Dubljevic, centre for Casademont Zaragoza, leads the country in points at the tournament with 219 in total.

You can stream GB’s match against Montenegro live and for free on Courtside 1891 at 11:30 am (BST) on Wednesday, 3 September.