2023-09-09 14:35:00
Both eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the 2023 World Cup, Latvia and Lithuania were competing for fifth place in the tournament this afternoon in Manila. A derby between Baltic countries which promised a lot in terms of collective play, but which ultimately came to an end. +35 for the Latvians!
If you still needed proof that Latvia’s superb performance in this World Cup is not the result of chance, here it is.
Eliminated by Germany – finalist and executioner of Team USA – after a defeat of two small points in the quarter-finals, the Latvians completed their World Cup with a resounding victory over Lithuania (98-63). And as since the start of the tournament, Luca Banchi’s men displayed their collective strength, their perfectly oiled game, their external skill, and everything that makes Latvia a magnificent basketball team.
98 points scored, 51% shooting including 50% from 3-point range, 16 award-winning shots, 34 assists for only 3 turnovers (!), in the jargon we call that a masterclass.
The main actors ? We want to list all the players on the team because Latvia symbolizes collective basketball, but special mention still goes to Arturs Kurucs (20 points, top scorer of the match), Rolands Smits (17 points, 6 rebounds in 23 minutes), and especially Arturs Zagars: 4 points, 6 rebounds and… 17 assists (for 0 turnovers in 26 minutes, crazy) for the brilliant Latvian point guard, who has quite simply set a new record for the greatest number of assists in a FIBA World Cup match. Hats off.
Latvia end their incredible World Cup run over the win against Lithuania ????
5TH ???????? LATVIA
6TH ???????? LITHUANIA#FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/MJe886z0xJ
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 9, 2023
With this correction inflicted on the Lithuanians, Latvia therefore finished 5th in the 2023 World Cup. A result as exceptional as it was unexpected for this nation which participated in its very first World Cup since 1990 (with the USSR). All this without NBA star Kristaps Porzingis, we remind you.
For Lithuania, it is inevitably a fishtail ending. Jonas Valanciunas (15 points, 8 rebounds today) and his friends had big ambitions after finishing the group stages undefeated, beating Team USA what’s more. But they then fell heavily against Serbia in the quarter-finals, before bouncing back against Slovenia, then coming through again against Latvia this Saturday. Sixth place in the tournament nevertheless remains honorable after the failures of the last international competitions.
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