RIGA (Latvia) - Even though they knew their spot at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 was locked as they are hosting the event, Latvia are still putting on one of the most impressive Qualifiers campaigns in all of Europe.
Coach Luca Banchi saw his team defeat Spain 83-66 on Thursday, enjoying the standing ovation of a sell-out crowd in Riga, as they climbed to 5-0.
The defending FIBA EuroBasket champions struggled to keep up with the Latvian rhythm, and could not stop their outside shooting all night long. If Latvia had done the damage offensively in the first half, they raised the level of their defense after the break, holding Spain to less than 20 points in all four quarters.
In fact, Latvia won in a style so similar to Spain's - defensive intensity, all 12 players getting minutes on the floor, managing the load, while UCAM Murcia's Rodions Kurucs and BAXI Manresa's Marcis Steinbergs spread the floor as big guys offensively.
Kurucs finished the game with 28 points, while also picking up 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists, getting an efficiency rating of 35. National team legend Davis Bertans had 8 points in just 15 minutes of work, including a big dunk in the first quarter.
This game also marked the end of Janis Strelnieks' national team career; the 35-year-old signed off with 5 points.
With back-to-back wins over Spain in these Qualifiers, Latvia took their head-to-head record to 4-6, but also sent a message to the rest of the continent. Come September, expect the hosts to be medal contenders, too.
Spain have no reason to be concerned about their 2-3 record, as they secured their spot in the Final Round during the November 2024 window. Santi Yusta was once again their top performer, scoring 15 on the day.
FIBA