RIGA (Latvia) - Latvia had their fair share of struggles through the first three games of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025. That's why a 78-62 win over Portugal was much needed.
It wasn't just about climbing to 2-2 and keeping Portugal at one win, it was about figuring things out before the most important games happen in the packed Arena Riga, where 11,000 gathered to follow the game, again.
Turning Point
One shot that made it 10-2 three minutes into the game. It doesn't sound that convincing, right? Wrong.
Kristaps Porzingis missed his first 14 three-point attempts, but when he finally saw one go in, in his 15th attempt, he could not stop himself from laughing and showing the crowd how much it meant to him.
His shot making opened up the entire game for Latvia, their offense was flowing beautifully in a 27-7 second quarter to secure themselves a calm second half of the game.
TCL Player of the Game
Kristaps Porzingis was dominant even when his shots weren't falling, so consider this game as the one that unlocked new levels of dominance for the Latvian superstar.
He made five triples in the first half, collecting 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a block to lead the way for the hosts once again.
Latvia were a +25 team with him on the floor, all done in just 26 minutes of work.
Stats Don't Lie
Latvia made 10 of their first 17 three-point attempts, and finished the half shooting 11-of-21, one of those misses being a full court heave by Mareks Mejeris.
When they are that hot, when they have 14 assists on 17 field goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, there's not a lot of teams that can stay close to them in the entire basketball world.
Bottom Line
Latvia climbed to 2-2 and confirmed their spot in the Final Phase after Serbia defeated Czechia in the final game of the day in Group A.
However, it's not all fun and games for coach Luca Banchi, as Andrejs Grazulis sits behind the bench in street clothes, with his right ankle in a boot, while Arturs Zagars left the game just five minutes in with another injury. Kristers Zoriks also suffered an injury in the final minute of the game.
We are yet to find out how serious those injuries are, but it's not looking good at the moment.
As for Portugal, they know it all comes down to their last game. On Wednesday, they are taking on Estonia, with both teams tied at 1-3 after four games. Neemias Queta was once again their best player with 16 points and 7 rebounds.
They Said
"We are alive." - Portugal head coach Mario Gomes summing up the tournament for Portugal in three words, as they still have good chances of making the Round of 16
"We fought until the end. We had a good fourth quarter, and the Portugal team that played that quarter is the Portugal team that's going to play on Wednesday. It's a do-or-die game for us." - Rafael Lisboa, Portugal, looking forward to the matchup with Estonia
"We have players like KP and Davis, who are capable of taking and scoring the shots from out of the human range." - Latvia head coach Luca Banchi explaining why they attempted 40 three-pointers
"S*** can happen, and unfortunately, for us s*** is happening. Even too much. Too frequently." - Banchi on injuries happening in team Latvia during the tournament
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA