RIGA (Latvia) - It was as loud as you can imagine, with 5,010 mostly Estonian fans creating the noise in the final minute, up by three against Portugal in a direct battle for the final Round of 16 ticket from Group A.
Then, it was so silent within a moment.
"You hear that? That's the sound of the air leaving the building," renowned international coach Mike Taylor said, witnessing the game from the front row as the color commentator for Courtside 1891.
He was referring to the moment when Rafael Lisboa took and made the incredible three-pointer from way beyond the arc to tie the game in the final minute.
Sure, the score was just tied, but it felt like Portugal cannot lose after that.
"I've seen him make that before," teammate Travante Williams was laughing after the game.
"I trust him, I believe in him, whatever he does, I'm okay with it. I knew it was going in," he added.
"In those moments, you see the movie of your life," coach Mario Gomes talking about what went through his mind while the ball was flying towards the rim.
"I'm always dreaming of these types of shots, that the ball comes to my hands and I decide the game," Rafael Lisboa said it himself.
"Sometimes I feel like I shot a good shot, and it's not really a great shot, but when the ball came into my hands, it was with the right touch. I was feeling that it was going in. And it went in. And it was perfect," he exhaled.
The three-pointer, plus the four free throws made by Lisboa, too, marked a sensational comeback from Portugal.
They weren't losing by a lot. It was more of a mental, emotional comeback, after Neemias Queta had picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected midway through the third period.
"One thing I knew, the team was not going to throw in the towel," coach Gomes explained.
He looked exhausted, but happy after putting together this team that made the Knock-Out Phase for the first time ever. He had all the jokes, too, talking about the mood before the do-or-die game with Estonia.
"If we win, we achieve our goal that we determined in February. If we lose, we go home. Now it's a problem for him (points to staff member) to book new flights. That's his problem," Gomes smiled.
But don't let the jokes fool you. Coach Gomes loves his players, and they love him back, creating a rock-solid bond that helped them overcome the loss of their 2024 NBA champion Queta.
"Unfortunately, he can't come to play the Qualifiers, so we are used to playing without him, too. Of course, he helps us a lot, but the team got together in those moments. When this team plays together like that, it's very hard to beat us," Lisboa offered.
Funny thing, the point guard was not the only one thinking back to the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers just a few minutes after reaching the Round of 16 of the biggest continental event.
"I wanna dedicate this achievement to the four players that helped us a lot in the Qualifiers and could not be here: Andre Cruz, Ricardo Monteiro, Anthony Da Silva and Goncalo Delgado. I hope they listen, they know this is something deep for them," coach Gomes got emotional.
This result comes as the crowning moment of Portugal's path towards continental elite through the recent years. It's not just about Queta, nor is it just about Lisboa, even though his last name was mentioned more than once in the closing minutes of this encounter.
"His dad is one of the most decorated players in Portuguese history. He's following in those footsteps, he's being just great, it's in his blood," Williams explained why he trusted Lisboa to make that clutch shot so much.
The father is Carlos Lisboa, a 14-time Portuguese champion with Sporting, Queluz and Benfica. But even the great Carlos did not manage to sneak into the Knock-Out Phase of a EuroBasket event.
"We all give our best for our country, our clubs, and our families, too. My father, for sure, is really happy at home," Rafael said.
Time for one last soundbite from coach Gomes. Before the event, he described the tournament as a melon, saying you never know what you are going to get until you open it, have a look and taste it.
So, five games in, what's the melon like?
"Today we opened it and it was a sweet melon," he smiled.
FIBA