RIGA (Latvia) - The Baltic Derby was everything we expected it to be. Lithuania and Latvia fought until the final buzzer backed by 11,000 fans in the stands, in a truly unique atmosphere, with both teams hearing the cheers from the sell out crowd.
In the end, Lithuania won the game 88-79, booking a trip to the Quarter-Finals where they'll meet either Greece or Israel.
That Round of 16 matchup will be played on Sunday, while this Quarter-Finals pairing takes the court again on Tuesday.
Turning Point
Trailing 56-48 midway through the third quarter, Latvia had multiple chances to get back within two possessions, but failed to convert them, turning the ball over or missing the shots.
While there was still plenty of basketball ahead of us, Jonas Valanciunas' and-one bucket to beat the shot clock buzzer when he only had 1.7 seconds to get it off pushed the gap back to double digits.
That took all of the wind out of the Latvian sails, Lithuania climbing to a +12 advantage after three quarters, cruising towards the win over the final 10 minutes.
The closest Latvia got in reasonable time was to -7 with 3:30 left to play, but Azuolas Tubelis and Arnas Velicka prevented any kind of comeback by the hosts with back-to-back buckets.
TCL Player of the Game
With Rokas Jokubaitis out, coach Rimas Kurtinaitis needed something special to reach the Quarter-Finals. He got it.
Arnas Velicka stepped up once again, finishing the game with 21 points, 12 assists and 5 rebounds, with the crucial number in his stat line being +15. That was the margin between the two teams with him on the floor.
He is only the third Lithuanian player with 10+ assists in a knockout game at the EuroBasket, after Sarunas Jasikevicius (11 in the Quarter-Finals in 2003) and Mantas Kalnietis (11 in the Quarter-Finals in 2015).
Velicka is also the sixth Lithuanian player with 10+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a knockout game at the EuroBasket over the last 30 years, and this was his career-high in scoring in a EuroBasket game.
Need more? We got more: the 25-year-old is joined Mateusz Ponitka (2022, vs. Slovenia) and Luka Doncic (2025, vs. Belgium) as the third player combining for 20+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ assists in a EuroBasket game over the last 30 years.
Stats Don't Lie
29-0. That's Lithuania's record in EuroBasket history when leading by 10+ points at halftime.
They were up 47-37 at the break, paving the way towards their 29th straight win when leading by double digits after 20 minutes of action.
Bottom Line
Lithuania made it back to the Quarter-Finals, after missing out both in 2022 and 2017. This are guaranteed to finish among the top eight teams for the 12th time in EuroBasket history, an incredible number considering this is their 16th participation.
Without their starting point guard, they played big, not just under the rim, but all over the court, including moments in which power forwards Azuolas Tubelis and Tadas Sedekerskis guarded Arturs Zagars, the Latvian point guard.
That allowed them to switch the 1-5 pick-and-roll with Kristaps Porzingis and prevent Latvia from creating any kind of advantage in those situations.
With fans of both teams sitting together, it is impossible to guess how many Lithuanian fans were in the stands, but they made their presence felt, shouting their souls out to help the guys in white eliminate the hosts.
Meanwhile, the Latvian fans were still proud of their team's performance in this event. A standing ovation long after the final buzzer occurred in the arena, but their run ends here.
Kristaps Porzingis had 34 points and 19 rebounds in a losing effort.
They Said
"We executed our game plan pretty well. We did some switching defensively on Porzingis, so everyone got a piece of him on defense, it wasn't just me or him (points at Deividas Sirvydis), it's everyone. I'm just happy." - Azuolas Tubelis, Lithuania
"He showed himself what a basketball player he could be at the highest level, against all these players." - Tubelis, praising Arnas Velicka
"To be honest, I don't care. It's my first EuroBasket, I'm just happy to be here and I'm going to do everything to be successful as a team." - Tubelis, answering which opponent he prefers in the Quarter-Finals
"Crowd was unbelievable! It was a full house, it's always a derby, can't ask for more." - Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania
"It doesn't matter who plays, who put up more shots, who scored more points, as long as we win. It's a team sport, it's not individual." - Valanciunas talking coming off the bench and playing just 10 minutes
"This win is for him." - Arnas Velicka, Lithuania, dedicating the win to injured Rokas Jokubaitis
For quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA