When Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade announced the signing of Yago Dos Santos, fans with knowledge of the BKT EuroCup knew that the Serbian club was getting a gem. The 24-year-old impressed during his rookie season on the old continent, leading ratiopharm Ulm to the EuroCup Quarterfinals and becoming a German League champion. On Wednesday, he stepped up in a do-or-die game for Brazil as it booked its place in the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a 77-89 win over the Ivory Coast in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dos Santos finished the contest with game highs of 24 points and 12 assists, with the bulk of his scoring coming in the first half. Through the first two quarters, Yago scored 19 points and dished 4 assists to ensure that Brazil went into the halftime break with a 46-50 lead.
After the interval, the point guard's playmaking took center stage as he dished 8 assists to record a double-double, while he hit a couple of late free throws with 3:39 minutes to go to keep Brazil in the driving seat, 71-79. Then, Yago put the final nail in the coffin by draining a deep three to make it a 74-85 ballgame with 1:50 remaining.
