However, Dāvis refrained from talking about the statistics of the game, stating that the protocol papers mean nothing, because the most important thing is that everyone on the field works with 100% self-sacrifice. Dāvis admitted that the battle turned out to be tough, because after a good start, the Spaniards took the initiative, however, the Latvian national team relentlessly tried to follow the game plan and managed to get back into the game with dedication.
The third quarter turned out to be unsuccessful for the Latvian national team, and Dāvis explained the falling stage both with his own failures in defense and with the opponents’ tactics.
“They [spāņi] played a lot to the bottom of the basket, often small [Latvijas spēlētāji] stayed against their tall, smashed quite a few notes as well which gave them easy points. It’s very hard to play if we’re hitting punts, they’re taking penalties, and then we have to play slow on offense because they’re ready on defense,” Bertan explained. “In the fourth quarter, we covered [pretiniekus], we forced them to make mistakes, we ran and attacked with much greater speed. That was also what gave us the advantage.”
Bertāns, however, added that he always appreciates the previous victory over France, especially because it allowed Latvian basketball to rise to a level it had never been before.
Šmits, Gražulis and Zorik after the victory over Spain | Basketball5min
Rolands Schmidt, who scored 11 points, was in a great mood after the victory – he praised all his teammates for their complete self-sacrifice, which made it possible to win over a strong opponent.
“It’s really something great for us. We just can’t stop now, we have to go to the next game and win the next one,” Šmits told Latvian Television.
Meanwhile, Andrejs Gražulis, who also had 11 points, said that the team already believed after the victory over France that they really deserved to play in the World Cup and compete with the basketball superpowers. The crucial situations against the Spaniards were helped by getting quick shots from good positions, Gražulis added.
On the other hand, Kristers Zorik, who forged a turning point in the game with important three-point shots, reminded that the team still had an important fight against Brazil, but the victory over the Spaniards required a lot of strength. It was a difficult period in the third quarter, but they managed to get back into the game step by step, and later the Spaniards felt the pressure, Zorik said.
The head coach of the Latvian national team, Luka Banki, was happy about the great victory and did not hide that he was enjoying pleasant emotions, but he emphasized that the team will have to prepare for the next game.
Banki was pleased with the Latvian basketball players’ ability to return to the game after the team’s performance faltered in the third quarter. He emphasized that there were 14 changes of management in the game, which characterizes the tension on the field, but the victory over the world and European champions is something to be proud of.
The coach praised Roland Šmit, Dāva Bertān and Rodion Kuruc for their good work against the impressive Spanish line-up at the beginning of the match. Banki named the team’s dedication and character as the most important to prevent the opponents from gaining the upper hand.
On the other hand, the Spanish basketball player Rudi Fernandez admitted after the loss that his team could not overcome the aggressive defense of the opponents in the last quarter and the Latvians played more diligently.
Latvian basketball players will finish the second group round on Sunday against Brazil. The victory over the Spaniards brought the Latvian national team closer to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, but the work on the way to the elimination tournament for the national team is not over yet.
CONTEXT:
32 national teams are participating in the World Cup final tournament for the first time, and the Latvian national team is a debutant. Teams from four groups competed in the Philippines, while eight teams each competed in Japan and Indonesia. The final tournament will end on September 10 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
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