Former Gonzaga forward ejected in first quarter of EuroBasket matchup

Filip Petrusev was ejected for a 'violent altercation' in Serbia's win over Portugal

Former Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Filip Petrusev. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

After scoring 12 points in 18 minutes during Serbia's win over Estonia to open EuroBasket play, former Gonzaga forward Filip Petrusev was barely given a chance to contribute in a narrow win over Portugal on Friday.

Petrusev was ejected after an official review determined a 'violent altercation' had taken place, sending the 6'11 big man to the bench with 5:48 left in the first quarter. He scored two points on 1-2 shooting prior to his departure.

Petrusev ran toward the rim after a shot went up on the other side of the floor. A Portuguese player extended his arms into Petrusev's chest while boxing out, and Petrusev responded by swinging his arm toward the player's chest, resulting in the ejection.

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic had 18 points on perfect 6-6 shooting while Denver Nuggets center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 10 rebounds to carry the load for the Serbians.

Serbia and Petrusev responded with another win on Saturday against Latvia, 84-80, giving them a perfect 3-0 record to start EuroBasket play. Petrusev played 24 minutes and scored 12 points with four rebounds, two steals, and an assist in his return to the floor.

Jan 9, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) and forward Filip Petrusev (3) and guard Ryan Woolridge (4) and guard Joel Ayayi (11). | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Serbia is one of the strongest basketball countries in the world, coming into EuroBasket as the favorites thanks to Jokic, Jovic, Petrusev, and NBA wing Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many of these players also represented Serbia in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where the country nearly took down the United States in the semifinals before defeating Germany, 93-83, to earn bronze.

Petrusev averaged 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds while in Paris, and was a key part of Serbia qualifying for EuroBasket after he averaged 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in the EuroBasket qualifiers - which included a 34 point showing against Finland.

Petrusev spent two years at Gonzaga from 2018-2020. He was a consensus All-American in 2019-20, leading Gonzaga with 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He left after his sophomore year and went back to Serbia to play for Mega Bemax, earning MVP honors before getting selected No. 50 overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jul 10, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Filip Petrusev (33) reacts during an NBA Summer League game against the Brooklyn Nets. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Now Petrusev is set to play for Dubai Basketball in 2025-26, joining a litany of former NBA players, including Davis Bertans, who Petrusev just squared off against in the game against Latvia on Saturday.

Next up for Serbia in EuroBasket is a matchup against the Czech Republic on Monday, Sep. 1 at 11:15 AM PT.