Latvia earned its first EuroBasket 2025 victory in Riga, edging out Estonia 72-70 in a heated Group A battle.
The Baltic showdown drew 10,291 fans, with blue and burgundy jerseys evenly spread across the arena. Supporters from both nations created a festive atmosphere, but the action on the court was anything but light.
The game carried the physicality of 1990s basketball, where every possession came with heavy contact. Estonia built a 61-54 advantage late in the third quarter, threatening to silence the Latvian crowd.
Kristaps Porzingis responded with authority, scoring six points in a pivotal 9-0 run that included a key assist to Kristers Zoriks for a three-pointer. That surge gave Latvia a 63-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Defense dominated the final period, with neither team finding easy looks at the rim. Latvia scored the first points of the quarter with four minutes left as Porzingis extended the gap to 65-61.
Estonia did not register a basket in the fourth until Kristian Kullamae hit a three with two minutes remaining to cut the deficit to 66-64. Porzingis answered quickly with a dunk before converting an and-one to push the lead to 71-64 with one minute left.
Estonia made a late push, but missed free throws and turnovers proved costly. Matthias Tass, who finished with 13 points, failed to capitalize at the line, while Latvia’s star center continued to control the paint.
Porzingis delivered 26 points and seven rebounds, numbers that felt even larger given the defensive intensity and low-scoring nature of the matchup. Davis Bertans added 6 points and 11 rebounds, while Zoriks contributed a key triple in the third-quarter swing.
For Estonia, Nikola Kullamae scored 12 points with 8 assists, and Artur Konontsuk chipped in 13. Despite their balanced effort, Estonia dropped to 0-2 in group play.
The win improved Latvia to 1-1, keeping their knockout stage hopes alive in a tightly contested group.
