Successful win by Austria's basketball squad over the Dutch team
Austria Secures Second Victory in Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifiers
In a thrilling game played in front of 3,000 spectators at Schwechat's Multiversum, Austria's men's basketball team clinched a second victory in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers. The team triumphed against the Netherlands with a score of 83:70.
The Austrian team, led by NBA star Jakob Poeltl and Sylven Landesberg, started the game strong, with a series of Austrian three-pointers ending the third quarter with a commanding 21-point lead. Landesberg was the top scorer of the match with 14 points, while Poeltl added 12 points and six rebounds to his tally.
The Netherlands' top scorer, Malevy Leons from the Oklahoma City Thunder, had to leave the game due to his fifth foul. Leons scored 15 points in the game for the Netherlands, but it was not enough to turn the tide in their favour. The Netherlands did not manage to reduce the deficit significantly in the final quarter, as the Austrian victory was never in doubt.
The game against Bulgaria, which will be at 5:00 PM in Botewgrad on Saturday, is crucial for Austria's advancement to the first round of the main qualifying phase. A win against Bulgaria would secure Austria's advancement, as they need to win upcoming pre-qualifier games or accumulate enough points overall to secure a place in the next round.
The Austrian team played well with many substitutions, maintaining their rhythm throughout the game. However, briefly losing rhythm during the match, they managed to regain an eight-point lead by halftime. The team extended their lead to 17 points after halftime, and maintained their flow even in the second half, despite the numerous substitutions.
The recent results show a tight rivalry between Austria and Bulgaria. Austria won their home game on August 6, 2025, 88-76, but lost the away game on August 16, 2025, 78-87. This split indicates that Austria needs at least one more crucial victory or favorable outcomes in remaining matches to secure advancement.
The exact advancement rules typically involve ranking teams by points (wins), then head-to-head results, point difference, and points scored. Given the close head-to-head between Austria and Bulgaria—with Bulgaria leading 4 wins to Austria’s 1 historically—the Austrian team must aim to win upcoming games convincingly and possibly rely on overall group standings to advance.
As the pre-qualifiers progress, the Austrian team will continue to push for victory, aiming to secure their place in the main qualifying phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027.
In the context of Austria's basketball journey, the team's impressive win against the Netherlands indicates their potential in NBA-caliber sports, such as basketball, like NBA star Jakob Poeltl was a significant contributor. With an eye on the next game against Bulgaria, the team aims to secure another victory, a crucial step towards advancing to the main qualifying phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, given their history of close matches against Bulgaria.
