Thanks largely to the efforts of Timofey Mozgov, the Russian National Team finished with a 4-0 mark in EuroBasket 2017 qualifiers, concluding with a 63-59 victory over Sweden on Saturday.
Playing on home court in Krasnodar, Mozgov finished the game with seven points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
He was especially key on the glass late in the game, beginning when Sweden cut Russia’s lead to one with five minutes left. The new Laker kept possession alive by crashing the offensive boards, leading directly to a 3-pointer by teammate Sergey Karasev.
But the Swedes fought back, tying the game at 59 with 47.0 seconds remaining. Mozgov then snatched a defensive rebound and Russia finished with the game’s final four points.
Ranked ninth by FIBA in a group that only contained No. 53 Bosnia and Herzegovina and No. 61 Sweden, Russia had rolled to double-digit victories in its first three games of qualification.
But the Swedes played a tough finale despite shooting just 19-of-62 from the field.
As the only NBA player on the Russian roster, Mozgov averaged 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 56.3 percent in qualification.
In addition to Russia, Belgium, Slovenia, Montenegro and Hungary have qualified for EuroBasket 2017, joining Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Turkey.
Seven spots remain for the tournament, which will be held next summer from Aug. 31-Sept. 17.
In a seven-year career with the Russian National Team, Mozgov has been a part of bronze-medal teams at EuroBasket 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics.