By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 10:35 EDT, 4 September 2025 | Updated: 10:36 EDT, 4 September 2025
LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP) - Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurki´c scored 15 points as Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Group C rival Georgia 84-76 to reach the knockout stage at EuroBasket on Thursday.
Georgia trailed by 12 points at halftime but fought back for a 71-71 tie with just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter in the Cypriot city of Limassol.
Nurki´c stopped Georgia's momentum with the next score, a hook shot from Edin Atic's assist, starting a nine-point run for his side. The Georgians ran out of gas and its bench mustered just four points in the game.
The irrepressible Nurki´c had 12 rebounds, the most on either side, and chalked up his third straight double-double of the tournament.
Toronto Raptors forward Alexander Mamukelashvili top-scored for Georgia with 20 points and eight rebounds.
The defeat left Georgia in fourth place and waiting on defending champion Spain´s result against Greece later Thursday.
Bosnia's Jusuf Nurkic reacts during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Bosnia and Georgia at Spyros Kyprianou Arena, in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakis Savvides)
Spain needed to beat Greece to qualify after losing two of its Group C games. Already-qualified Italy was facing rock-bottom Cyprus in the other group game.
In remaining Group D play, Zaccharie Risacher led with 15 points as France routed Iceland 114-74 in Katowice, Poland.
Risacher, the No. 1 NBA draft pick last year, made three out of five three-pointers and had seven rebounds. France shared the scoring around, with seven other players scoring at least 10 points, and a strong bench contributed 66 points overall.
The win put Olympic silver medalist France provisionally top of Group D ahead of Israel's match against Slovenia later Thursday, with both of those teams already qualified.
The knockout phase starts in Riga, Latvia, on Saturday.
Spain beat France 88-76 in the 2022 final. ___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Bosnia's coach Aziz Bekir, right, reacts as Georgia's Kakhaber Jintcharadze shots during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Bosnia and Georgia at Spyros Kyprianou Arena, in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakis Savvides)
Bosnia's Jusuf Nurkic goes to score as Georgia's Goga Bitadze defends during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Bosnia and Georgia at Spyros Kyprianou Arena, in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakis Savvides)