Nets stash Aleks Vezenkov leads Bulgaria to big win

Aleksandar Vezenkov, the 6’9” sharpshooter the Nets took with the 57th pick in June’s draft, scored 21 points, grabbed eight boards and handed out three assists Saturday as his Bulgarian team clinched a spot in the FIBA World Cup qualifying around this November.

Bulgaria beat Portugal, 91-65, in Botevgrad, Bulgaria, giving it a 3-0 record in what FIBA calls its European pre-qualifying tournament. Teams from 13 small European countries are vying to move on to the next round of competition for the FIBA World Cup competition next year. Although the pre-qualifying tournament continues for another week, Bulgaria’s 3-0 record clinches a berth for them.

Vezenkov went 7-of-13 overall, 3-of-6 from…