Lisboa named MVP after guiding hosts Portugal to crown

MATOSINHOS (Portugal) - Rafael Lisboa received the Most Valuable Player award after guiding hosts Portugal to the crown at the FIBA U20 European Championship 2019, Division B.

Lisboa  collected 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the Portuguese 73-59 victory over Czech Republic in the U20 Division B Final as they secured their first appearance in the Division A at the U20 level in history. For the tournament, Lisboa averaged 17.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals. The points per game ranked fifth in the tournament and he was seventh in assists. 

Lisboa was joined on the All-Star Five by Portuguese teammate Neemias Queta, Vit Krejci of runners-up Czech Republic, Vrenz Bleijenbergh of third-placed Belgium and Maksim Karvanen of Russia, who finished fourth. 

Queta, who missed the Final with a knee injury he suffered in the Semi-Finals, averaged 14.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks for Portugal, ranking third in rebounds and second in blocks.  Krejci was held to just 5 points and 5 rebounds in the Final for the Czechs - though he averaged 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks in the tournament. He was sixth in assists in the event. Bleijenbergh averaged 9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game - fourth-best in assists and steals. Karvanen meanwhile tallied 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. 

FIBA