Poland defeated Israel 106:86 in Riga during Thursday’s World Cup qualifier, extending their winning streak to seven consecutive matches and moving within a single victory of securing a place at the 2027 tournament in Qatar.
Mateusz Ponitka and the Early Defensive Surge
Captain Mateusz Ponitka delivered a standout performance, recording 24 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and four blocks as Poland controlled the tempo from the opening minutes. Playing at a neutral venue in Riga due to the political situation in Israel, the match took place without spectators by FIBA decision.
The Polish team established an early defensive rhythm, constructing an 11:2 lead just over three minutes into the contest. Ponitka contributed across multiple categories immediately, registering an assist, a rebound, a block, 2/2 from the free throw line, and points after an entry to the baseline before adding points from the middle with a foul and converting the free throw, another block, another rebound, and another assist.
Contributions From the Bench and Solid First-Half Execution
Reserves maintained the intensity established in the opening period. Andrzej Pluta, the best Polish basketball player of recent seasons in our league who a few weeks ago became a player of the Spanish team Bàsquet Girona and arrived at the training camp on Monday after missing three control games, contributed five quick points off the bench after quickly scoring five points in a row. After ten minutes, Poland held a 23:15 advantage.
Aleksander Balcerowski capitalized on positioning under the basket, scoring from right under the rim, while Igor Milicić Jr. added scoring from long range and a nice finish from a drive. Milicić Jr., returning to the national team rotation following injuries and play in the American G League, helped push the advantage to 34:20 in the 13th minute.
After a timeout, the Israelis scored five points in a row, prompting head coach Igor Milicić to immediately call a timeout at 34:25, which brought good results as the Biało-Czerwoni were effective again. Following an action by Balcerowski, who will play for FC Barcelona in the new season, the score reached 50:34. Jordan Loyd, one of the leaders of the Polish squad who joined the team recently and played in one of the control matches against Greece, had nine points by halftime. Israel was weakened by the absence of their biggest NBA star, Deni Avdija. By halftime, Ponitka had 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three blocks, leading Poland to a 55:42 advantage.
Israel’s Second-Half Push and Final Stretch
The leaders of the table started the second half brilliantly with six unanswered points to lead 61:42. After an amazing three-pointer from an unbalanced position by Ponitka and another fast-break three-pointer by Loyd, the score reached 69:47 in the 25th minute. Strong dunks were presented by Balcerowski and Dominik Olejniczak, while Jarosław Zyskowski scored nicely out of the air after a pass from Kamil Łączyński.
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Israel did not give up. Following good actions by Sorkin, the score became 76:60, and later the score reached 80:60.
Group Standings and the Upcoming Match in Ergo Arena
With a 7-0 record in Group K of the 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifiers, Poland leads the group ahead of Germany and Croatia, both holding 6-1 records. Latvia stands at 3-4, while Israel (2-5) and the Netherlands (2-5) lag behind quite clearly. Three best teams from the group will fly to the tournament in Qatar next year.
The qualifying campaign continues on Sunday, August 30, when the Poles will play against Germany — the current world and European champions — at the Ergo Arena. The match against Israel took place on Thursday, August 27, at 20:00 in Riga. The roster for the Polish national team for these World Cup qualifier matches includes guards/backs: Jordan Loyd, Kamil Łączyński, Mateusz Ponitka, Andrzej Pluta, Przemysław Żołnierewicz; forwards: Igor Milicić Jr., Jakub Piśla, Michał Sokołowski, Jarosław Zyskowski; and centers: Aleksander Balcerowski, Dominik Olejniczak, Szymon Zapała.
