Georgia absolutely demolished Montenegro 101-74 on Friday, kicking off the second round of FIBA World Cup qualifying with a statement win. Los Angeles Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili was at the absolute heart of that beatdown, leading his squad to a game where they never trailed and held the lead for all but thirteen seconds of the entire contest. This wasn’t just a win; it was a total masterclass in how to take control from the opening tip.
The Mamu Show Was in Full Effect
Mamu was straight-up electrifying for Georgia, putting on a performance that had everyone talking. He finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, showing off his all-around game. But those numbers barely scratch the surface of his impact. The man shot 6-13 from the field, including a red-hot 4-8 from beyond the arc. He even added a pair of steals to his stat line. Get this: in his 36 minutes of play, Mamukelashvili posted a game-high plus-minus of +36. That is an insane number, folks, a clear sign he was making winning plays every second he was on the court. When the FIBA World Cup account tweets “WELCOME TO THE MAMU SHOW 🍿🇬🇪,” you know he brought the heat.
Georgia’s Dominance and What It Means
While Mamu was the undeniable engine, he wasn’t alone in Georgia’s dominant effort. Tornike Shengelia absolutely poured it in with 24 points and seven rebounds, proving a powerful force inside. Goga Bitadze wasn’t far behind, adding 23 points and eight boards himself. This trio made it incredibly tough for Montenegro to get anything going. On the other side, Indiana Hoosiers legend Yogi Ferrell tried to keep Montenegro in it with 12 points, but it just wasn’t enough. It’s clear Montenegro definitely misses Nikola Vucevic, who retired from international play this offseason. The FIBA account nailed it with another tweet: “THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE WHEN MAMU AND GOGA ARE ON THE COURT ❤️🇬🇪.”
What This Monster Win Means for Georgia’s Future
With this dominant victory, Georgia just rocketed into the top three in their qualifying group. That’s a massive deal for their hopes of making the World Cup. There’s a small wrinkle, though: if Portugal manages to defeat Spain, Georgia could drop back to fourth. But regardless of that outcome, Georgia’s very next game is against Portugal on Monday, which makes it an absolutely critical matchup for both sides. These games carry even more weight because the later qualifying contests in November and February/March will happen during the NBA season, meaning NBA players won’t be able to participate. That really ramps up the pressure on teams like Montenegro, who rely heavily on their NBA talent.
Elsewhere in European qualifying, France also had a huge win, routing Slovenia 92-67. They led for all but 16 seconds of that contest. A stacked French team saw Victor Wembanyama lead the charge with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added nine points and seven boards. Jaxson Hayes, who got a Slovenian passport, does not appear to be with that team. Slovenia is currently last in their group, but don’t count them out yet; only one point separates second through sixth place, so qualifying is definitely still on the table for them.
Monday’s game against Portugal is going to be an absolute must-watch. This is a critical match for both sides, with real implications for who makes it through. With NBA players out of the picture for those later qualifying rounds, every single one of these games right now carries massive weight. Can Georgia keep this momentum rolling and punch their ticket? You know we’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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