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Between exhibitions and future tournament qualifiers, Saric looks like a totally new player since his ACL tear
With the official start of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket looming, Phoenix Suns big Dario Saric helped Croatia finish the exhibition period 2-2 in the first competitive action he’s seen since Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals when he tore his ACL against the Milwaukee Bucks:
The national squad also played in a couple pre-qualifiers for the 2025 EuroBasket, which they finished 2-0:
…finishing August a combined 4-2 with their first real game of the EuroBasket coming on Fri. Sep. 2 against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.
As for Saric’s team context, Croatia has one of the most vast collections of NBA talent in the EuroBasket field:
Saric played well in all six games, averaging 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on shooting splits of 39.2/33.3/81.0 and looked healthy as ever, including a slimmed-down, quicker body that he used to attack closeouts more frequently than I’ve ever seen while wearing a Suns uniform (to varied success).
I think if Saric ever tried this pull-up three out of a between-the-legs dribble in an NBA game I’d freak out from excitement. The audacity of this man:
is this….. a curveball by dario? pic.twitter.com/rO9vM9n6Iy
Aturning
Rin
Ito
Offense pic.twitter.com/3zoIEumTgv
All games during the group stage will be streamed from the Mediolanum Forum in Assago, Italy on ESPN+, and we’ll have coverage of each game here as soon as possible for our non-subscribed readers and non-early risers. Here’s the full schedule for the group stage:
If Croatia finishes group play in the top 4 of Group C, then they move onto the knockout round:
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