Latvia continues its astonishing epic for the first Basketball World Cup in its history: after eliminating France in the first round, it offered itself Friday in Jakarta the scalp of Spain, defending champion (74-69).
The Latvians, though deprived for the entire competition of their star player, Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics), and their captain Dairis Bertans (injured in the first round), can dream of reaching the quarter-finals: they take, at the particular difference, second place in group L at La Roja (3 wins each), pending the Canada-Brazil meeting in the evening (3:30 p.m. French time).
Spain will imperatively have to beat the Canadians on Sunday to hope to pocket one of the two tickets for the quarterfinals, a necessary but perhaps not sufficient condition. Like France (3rd in the 2019 World Cup and reigning Olympic vice-champion), it suffered a Baltic surge in the last quarter, which it nevertheless started with a lead of 11 units (58-47).
But she thwarted the three-point address in the last quarter of the Latvians, who came back up (61-61) five minutes from the siren after two consecutive award-winning shots from Kristers Zoriks. Before finally taking control three minutes from time on a three-pointer from Davis Bertans (68-65).
And if the Spaniards came back to two units 28 seconds from the end on an award-winning shot from substitute Dario Brizuela (69-71), Latvia then did not tremble on the free throw line (3/4 including 2/ 2 for Rodions Kurucs 8 seconds from the siren).
