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Russia loses to Serbia, will go for bronze Sunday in FIBA

By Net Income

Timofey Mozgov is one game away from packing his bags and heading to Brooklyn, the final Nets player to join workouts at HSS Training Center.

Mozgov’s Russian national team lost Friday to Serbia in the FIBA Eurobasket semi-finals. Serbia will head to the gold medal game where they will play upstart Slovenia while Russia will face Spain in the bronze medal contest.

The Nets start training camp September 26 in Annapolis at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Russia went down early on Friday and despite some heroics by Alexey Shved (33 points and five assists) and Mozgov (11 points and 9 rebounds) never got the lead, although they did come close. In the end, Russia lost, 87-79.

Russia trailed for much of the game by double digits before getting within two midway through the fourth. Shved missed a wide open deep three for the lead. Serbia’s Vasilje Micic then connected from deep at the other end and the Serbs had the needed momentum to get the win.

“The key was the first half. We were not sufficiently focused," Mozgov said post-game.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia’s 6’5” shooting guard, finished with 24 points. Bogdanovic will be the NBA’s highest paid rookie ever next season in Sacramento.

Mozgov finished 4-of-8 overall Friday but got into early foul trouble, part of the reason for Russia’s difficulties. He and the rest of Team Russia had trouble containing the Pistons’ massive Boban Marjanovic, who finished with 18 points and six boards.

Overall, the 7’1” Nets center has averaged 13.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in 25 minutes in tournament with one game to go. He’s shot 56.7 percent overall for the tournament He did not make or take a three-point shot in the tournament, playing a more traditional back-to-the-basket role than the more open game he’s expected to play with the Nets.

All 18 of Mozgov’s teammates are at HSS, according to league sources. The Nets have 19 players under contract and are expected to fill the final roster spot by the opening of camp. Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson will speak with the media on Tuesday.

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