Croatia erase 14-point deficit to beat Netherlands 101-99 and stay atop World Cup qualifying Group K

Croatia came back from 14 points down and dramatically defeated the Netherlands in Almere

The Croatian national basketball team recorded one of its most dramatic victories so far in the European qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup. On Sunday, August 30, at the Topsportcentrum in Almere, it defeated the Netherlands 101:99 after trailing 58:44 at halftime. Head coach Tomislav Mijatović's team raised its defensive level after the break, accelerated the ball movement and gradually erased the hosts' advantage, while captain Dario Šarić took responsibility in the closing stages with a series of key plays. According to official FIBA data, the victory improved Croatia's record to 7-1 and kept it at the very top of Group K, where there is a direct battle for the three places leading to the final tournament in Qatar.

The result is particularly valuable because of the way it was achieved. The Netherlands controlled the tempo for almost three quarters, held a largest lead of 14 points during the game and, according to FIBA's game report, led for a total of 29 minutes and 10 seconds. Croatia spent only 7 minutes and 46 seconds in front, but in the decisive moments it found enough good defensive possessions and composure on offense. The game featured 14 lead changes and 12 ties, which best illustrates how, after Croatia's comeback, the match turned into a battle for every possession. In front of 3,108 spectators, the hosts had an opportunity until the final seconds to completely turn the ending around, but two Dutch attempts to win the game did not go in.

The Netherlands opened the game without fear

From the start, the home team imposed an aggressive approach on the ball and very quickly showed that it had no intention of conceding the result against Croatia without a serious fight. In its report, the Croatian Basketball Federation stated that Dutch pressure slowed Croatia's playmaking, while at the other end the hosts punished late defensive reactions and scored from well-prepared situations. After an initially even opening period, the Netherlands played the closing stages of the first quarter much better and led 31:22 after ten minutes. In the second period, the difference reached 14 points on several occasions, and Croatia was unable to maintain continuity even after shorter runs that brought it closer.

Luka Božić was one of the few Croatian players who found a way to stabilize the offense during that period. Coming off the bench, he helped reduce the deficit and stopped the hosts' momentum several times, but the Netherlands responded each time. Keye van der Vuurst de Vries was particularly effective in the first half, and the Dutch federation states that he finished the game with 23 points and five assists. Alongside him, Yannick Franke added 21 points and six rebounds, while David N'Guessan scored 19 points in just over 17 minutes. Such depth enabled the hosts to go into the long break with a 58:44 lead, at a moment when it seemed Croatia had to fundamentally change its approach in order to get back into the game.

The statistics confirm how efficient the Netherlands was. According to FIBA, the hosts finished the game shooting exactly 50 percent from the field and made 12 of 32 three-point attempts, or 37.5 percent. Croatia shot even better overall, 52 percent from the field, but reached that efficiency only after a major turnaround in the second half. The difference was particularly visible in aggressiveness toward the rim and at the free-throw line: Croatia converted 84.4 percent of its free throws, while the Netherlands remained at 70.8 percent. In a game decided by two points, such details became decisive.

The third quarter changed the entire direction of the game

A much more aggressive Croatia appeared after the break. According to the Croatian Basketball Federation's report, greater defensive engagement was accompanied by a clearer offensive plan: the ball was fed more often to the big men, Jaleen Smith attacked space with drives, and Mario Hezonja chose more rational solutions. After only a few minutes, the hosts' lead had been cut to just two points, 65:63. The Netherlands managed to respond once again and pull away after a technical foul by Ivica Zubac, but this time Croatia did not allow the game to return to the pattern of the first half.

Šarić stopped one of the hosts' runs with a three-pointer, while Hezonja brought Croatia even closer with a combination of difficult outside shooting and transition points. Smith then found Zubac for the turnaround and the first lead in a long time. The Netherlands nevertheless preserved a minimal advantage entering the final quarter, 77:76, but the balance of power was no longer the same. Croatia won the third period 32:19 and in just ten minutes erased almost the entire deficit it had built up through a poor first half.

Zubac was the central figure of Croatia's game in the paint. FIBA recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists for him, with an efficiency rating of 35, the highest in the game. His presence in the paint allowed Croatia to find a reliable source of points in the second half even when the outside shot was not flowing as planned. Šarić also finished with 24 points, along with three rebounds and six assists, meaning that in addition to scoring he also took on a large part of the offensive organization. Božić added 18 points, while Hezonja finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Šarić took over the closing stages, the Netherlands had the final possession

The final quarter was an almost continuous exchange of leads. Croatia sought an advantage through play in the paint, while the Netherlands remained dangerous from the outside and through two-man actions. Zubac gave Croatia an 84:83 lead with a basket plus a foul, but Franke later put the hosts back in front with a three-pointer. As the game approached its end, both teams had to make decisions under maximum pressure, and every miss or turnover carried greater weight.

At that point, Šarić produced the key sequence. According to the official Croatian Basketball Federation report, the captain hit a three-pointer for 95:92, then, after one unsuccessful Croatian possession, converted two free throws for 97:94, and after another defensive stop was again accurate from the line for 99:94. Luka Božić then made both free throws with 75 seconds remaining for 101:96. Van der Vuurst de Vries responded with a three-pointer and cut the score to 101:99, leaving the hosts with a realistic opportunity to complete the comeback.

The ending became even more tense after Smith committed an offensive foul, but he immediately made amends by stealing the ball. Šarić failed to convert a difficult attempt under the basket, leaving the Netherlands with the final possession. The home players got two opportunities to take a shot that could have won the game, but neither attempt went in. Croatia thus preserved the 101:99 lead and completed a comeback from a situation in which, only around twenty minutes earlier, it had been trailing by double digits.

Mijatović emphasized character and the defensive adjustment

Head coach Tomislav Mijatović did not hide after the game that the Netherlands had played at a very high level. In a statement published by the Croatian Basketball Federation, he highlighted the quality and cohesion of the home team, but gave the greatest credit for the turnaround to his own players. He emphasized that Croatia improved its rebounding, defense, physical toughness and willingness to make the extra effort in the second half, precisely the elements that had been missing in the first twenty minutes. Mijatović also placed the victory in the broader context of the qualifying cycle: collecting enough wins to return to the World Cup.

Zubac placed a similar emphasis on the same points. According to the Croatian Basketball Federation, the Croatian center said that the players knew the Netherlands could be very dangerous at home because of the large number of dribbles and three-point shots. After the break, Croatia, according to his explanation, became tougher and more physically aggressive, while several tactical adjustments helped the team find the energy needed for the comeback. Smith also admitted that the warnings about the quality of the Netherlands may not have been taken seriously enough in the first half, while Dominik Mavra assessed that it was especially important that the national team is now managing to win games in which it does not look good for long stretches.

For Croatia, this is an important psychological element. In qualifiers played across several national-team windows, rosters change, preparation time is limited, and one poor quarter can have a strong impact on the entire cycle. The victory in Almere is therefore not just another points-based step toward Qatar, but also proof that the team can win in a completely different type of game from those in which it controls the score from the beginning. That could be important in the final windows, when the pressure of qualification will be even greater.

Croatia, Germany and Poland at 7-1

The result in Almere further intensified the battle at the top of Group K. After the games played on August 30, Croatia, Germany and Poland each have seven wins and one loss. Germany defeated Poland 96:94 after overtime on the same day and handed it its first defeat of the qualifiers, while Latvia improved its record to 4-4 with a victory over Israel. The Netherlands and Israel remained at 2-6. According to FIBA's official system, the three best national teams from each of the four second-round groups will qualify directly for the World Cup.

Croatia is therefore in a very strong position with a 7-1 record, but qualification after eight rounds has not yet been mathematically secured. In the second round, all results from the first phase are carried over, and the national teams play home and away against opponents they did not previously face. Group K consists of Croatia, Germany and Israel from the former Group E, as well as Poland, Latvia and the Netherlands from Group F. The remaining four rounds are scheduled for November 2026 and February 2027, so the final standings will not be known until the entire cycle is completed.

The importance of the current performance is even greater because of Croatia's history on the world stage. According to FIBA, Croatia has not appeared at the World Cup since 2014, when it finished tenth in Spain and was eliminated by France in the round of 16. It missed the 2019 and 2023 editions, so qualification for Qatar would mean a return to the biggest global national-team competition after 13 years. The 2027 World Cup will be held in Qatar from August 27 to September 12 and will feature 32 national teams.

Fourth consecutive game with 100 or more points

The victory against the Netherlands also brought Croatia a historic offensive record. FIBA announced after the game that Croatia had become the first national team in the history of the European World Cup qualifiers to score at least 100 points in four consecutive games. The streak began on July 3 with a record 123:50 victory over Cyprus in Limassol, continued with 103:75 against Israel in Osijek, then 115:80 against Latvia on August 27, while the fourth game was precisely the 101:99 victory in Almere.

FIBA also emphasized that Croatia has an offensive average of more than 100 points per game in the qualifiers, convincingly higher than the best team averages from previous European qualifying cycles. That figure does not mean that all the victories were achieved in the same way. Against Cyprus and Latvia, Croatia dominated for large parts of the games, while against the Netherlands it reached a triple-digit score only after coming back from a deep deficit. That difference itself shows that the high offensive output is not based solely on one type of game or one player.

The depth is also visible through the distribution of roles. Zubac provides physical dominance in the paint, Šarić combines scoring and playmaking from a big-man position, Hezonja can take on a large share of the offensive responsibility on the perimeter, while Božić showed in Almere how important he can be when the starting five is out of rhythm. In its analysis, FIBA particularly highlighted the fact that Hezonja had already recorded several games with 20 or more points during the qualifiers and achieved the first triple-double in the history of the European qualifiers. Croatia's offense is therefore relying less and less on a single individual explosion and increasingly on the possibility that different players can take over the game at different stages.

The Netherlands left without a reward for a very good offensive night

For the Netherlands, the defeat carries a different weight. The hosts scored 99 points, shot 50 percent from the field and for a long time looked like a team capable of stopping one of the leading candidates to qualify from Group K. In its review, the Dutch Basketball Federation emphasized the team's offensive quality, but also the fact that such efficiency was not accompanied by a sufficient number of defensive stops. With a 2-6 record, the margin for error in the remaining four rounds has become very small, especially because the three leading national teams are already on seven wins.

At the same time, the game in Almere offered the Netherlands proof that it can compete on equal terms against a national team featuring several players of the highest international level. Van der Vuurst de Vries, Franke and N'Guessan combined for 63 points, and for almost three quarters the hosts managed to impose a tempo that did not suit Croatia. The problem arose when Croatia's defense became more physically robust and when Zubac and Šarić increasingly began to dictate the way possessions were finished at both ends of the court. In such a finish, the experience and individual quality of Croatia's leading players made a minimal but decisive difference.

Croatia therefore leaves the Netherlands with a result that combines the importance of the win, a historic offensive record and another confirmation of the team's character. After allowing 58 points in the first half, it managed to limit the hosts to 19 in the third quarter and maintain enough control in the final ten minutes to survive the late surge. The next national-team window in November will bring new direct clashes in Group K, and Tomislav Mijatović's team enters them with a 7-1 record and a clear opportunity to take the final step toward the World Cup in Qatar.

Sources:
- Croatian Basketball Federation - official report of the Netherlands - Croatia game, course of the match, statistics and statements after the victory (link)
- FIBA Basketball - official page of the Netherlands - Croatia game with the score, quarters, statistics, leads and attendance (link)
- FIBA Basketball - analysis of Croatia's offensive record and fourth consecutive game with 100 or more points (link)
- Basketball Nederland - official review by the Dutch federation of the game and the performances of the home team's key players (link)
- FIBA Basketball - system of the second round of the European qualifiers, composition of Group K and the rule under which the top three teams qualify for the World Cup (link)
- FIBA Basketball - official data on Croatia's 123:50 victory over Cyprus, the first game of the current streak of four games with 100 or more points (link)
- Croatian Basketball Federation - report on the 103:75 victory over Israel and the state of the group before the start of the second round (link)
- FIBA Basketball - official data on Croatia's most recent World Cup appearance in 2014 (link)
- NBA.com - updated results and Group K standings after the games played on August 30, 2026 (link)