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Ukraine picked up a narrow 84–82 victory over Latvia in a thrilling exhibition matchup at Xiaomi Arena on Sunday, fueled by an outstanding performance from Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. The Utah Jazz guard-forward dictated the tempo early on, exploding for 23 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to propel his side to a double-digit advantage. The 29-year-old Cherkasy native finished his efficient 27-minute stint shooting 9-of-17 from the field, sinking five three-pointers. He added six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Davis Bartans: Thank you for the great 15 years! It has been exactly a decade and a half since my first official match in the Latvian senior national team jersey. The time has come to listen to my body and, unfortunately – but with great joy and pride for everything I have experienced in these 15 years – the time has come to put an end to my career in the national team. It may hurt a little that we did not end the last match with a victory, but I believe that during all these years we have experienced incredible emotions – both in our hall and in tournaments and matches outside Latvia, such as the European Championships and the World Cup, which will remain in our memories for a very long time. I sincerely hope that basketball in Latvia is in a much better place today than it was before my first match. In the future, I will definitely be one of the biggest fans of the national team, I will always support and, whenever I have the opportunity, cheer on the guys from the stands. Thank you all for your support, for being with us both after victories and defeats, for celebrating with us, but also for grieving. Thank you!”
After an offseason playing for the Latvian national team at Eurobasket, he says he is back to normal. “I just didn’t have the engine that I usually have. … As soon as I got some rest and got back in shape with the national team, I’m feeling great,” Porziņģis said. “I feel awesome now.”
Brian Windhorst: Scouts were not blown away by the way Kristaps Porzingis looked. They felt he looked—not the sort of impact player they’re used to seeing. He admitted that while he feels better than he did in the spring, he’s still got a way to go. He’s not back to the full health that he was at.
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Kevin Chouinard: Final: Serbia 84, Latvia 80 Latvia's big comeback effort fell short. Porzingis: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks pic.x.com/M2wNPQjeVy
Cedi Osman dropped a game-high 20 points behind 6/10 field goals, including four triples in Riga. His 11 points in the third period propelled Turkiye to a safe distance. After paving the way with 13 points in the first half, Kenan Sipahi ended up with 19 points, making all of his six attempts from the field, including five shots from beyond the arc. Lasting nearly 28 minutes, the 30-year-old guard also recorded four rebounds and three assists. Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun added 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, one block, and one steal. The fourth double-digit scoring contribution belonged to Shane Larkin with 15 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo made a strong summer debut with 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Greece beat Latvia 104 – 86 in the opener of the Acropolis Tournament ahead of the EuroBasket. This was the top performance from the Greek side during training camp games, fueled by Antetokounmpo’s presence. The Greek Freak was particularly impressive in the first half with 20 points (8-9 shots) in 10:20 minutes as his team went to the locker room with a 61 – 45 advantage. Giannoulis Larentzakis had 3-3 triples in the third period, ultimately finishing with 14. Overall Greece had 14 – 26 from beyond the arc. Latvia improved after the break but never managed to catch up with Greece. Rihards Lomazs stood out from the Latvian team with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists while Arturs Kurucs scored 12 points. Kristaps Porzingis was held to seven points (0-4 triples) in 17 minutes.
Latvia claimed their first win of FIBA EuroBasket preparations after overcoming a red-hot start from Luka Doncic and Slovenia. The hosts trailed 31-21 early on, but produced an impressive response in the third quarter on their way to recording a convincing 100-88 victory. Doncic fired in 26 first-half points in just 17 minutes on his return to action after missing the defeat to Lithuania, but sat out most of the second half after suffering an injury scare.
Kristaps Porzingis led Latvia with a team-high 20 points along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists, while Davis Bertans weighed in with four triples in his 16 points. Rihards Lomazs and Dairis Bertans added 12 points apiece.
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Italy continued their unbeaten summer run ahead of EuroBasket 2025 with a convincing 91–75 win over Latvia in Trieste. Simone Fontecchio was the standout performer, scoring 21 points, while Pippo Ricci added 16. Nicolò Melli (13), Matteo Spagnolo (12), and Marco Spissu (11) also reached double figures.
Jay King: Brad Stevens said the way Kristaps Porzingis’ illness was described to him was as “post-viral syndrome.” Said playoff basketball was not conducive to helping him feel better. Thinks Porzingis will be aided by a couple of weeks of rest but thinks it will be “well cleared up” by the time he plays for Latvia in Eurobasket.
Kristaps Porzingis has confirmed he will represent Latvia at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, declaring that only injury could prevent him from suiting up for the national team this summer. The 28-year-old Boston Celtics star made his intentions clear to Sportacentrs.com during a videoconference for international media, when asked about Latvia's highly anticipated return to EuroBasket, which the country will co-host in Riga from August 27 to September 14. "Whether I want to play for the national team or not – that's a silly question," Porzingis said. "The past few summers didn't work out because I was injured. I've never refused the national team. When I haven't played, it's because of injuries." He added: "This summer, I'll be there! Health is the main thing – then everything else will follow."