Lithuania Seeks Retribution Against Latvia in eurobasket Knockout Round
Tampere, Finland - September 2, 2023 – The Lithuanian national basketball team prepares for a highly anticipated EuroBasket aštuntfinalis matchup against Latvia, fueled by past defeats and recent verbal sparring. The game, scheduled for 18:30 local time, carries significant weight for Lithuania, seeking to overcome a history of painful losses to their Baltic rivals.
This contest extends beyond a simple playoff game; it represents a chance for Lithuania to address lingering trauma from previous championships, particularly a lopsided 98-63 loss to Latvia during the 2023 World Cup in Manila, even without Kristaps Porzingis in the Latvian lineup. the psychological impact of these defeats, coupled with perceived provocations from the Latvian side, has created a charged atmosphere heading into Saturday’s game.
Mindaugas Normantas, speaking after lithuania concluded its Group B play in Tampere, alluded to the emotional weight of past encounters. “Everything adds up.Those ‘braliukai,’ and everything after Manila. You said they were talking… so if they’re talking, they’ll have to answer for their words,” normantas stated. He also expressed cautious optimism regarding the team’s current form, adding, “We’ll try, we’ll see. Maybe we won’t tremble anymore, enough of this shaking.” When asked about the team’s three-point shooting percentage, he playfully responded, ”About 26 percent, right?”
Jonas Valančiūnas emphasized the importance of the two days of rest following the group stage, prioritizing both physical and mental recovery. Normantas echoed this sentiment, stating, “we arrived, then we were given time to rest. we need to recover psychologically and physically.”
Lithuania finished Group B with a 4-1 record, securing victories against Great Britain (94-70 on September 1st), montenegro (94-67 on August 31st), Finland (81-78 on August 30th), and Sweden (74-71 on August 29th), while suffering a loss to Germany (88-107 on August 28th). Latvia concluded its Group C play with a 3-2 record, defeating Estonia (72-70 on August 31st), portugal (78-62 on September 1st), and the Czech Republic (109-75 on September 2nd), while losing to Turkey (73-93 on August 28th) and Serbia (80-84 on August 30th).
Saturday’s aštuntfinalis schedule also includes Turkey versus Sweden (12:00), Germany versus portugal (15:15), and Serbia versus Finland (21:45), all times local to Tampere. The winner of Lithuania versus Latvia will advance to the quarterfinal round of the EuroBasket tournament.
