Portugal made history at EuroBasket 2025, defeating Estonia 68-65 in Riga to secure its first-ever spot in the tournament’s Knockout Phase.
The win capped off Group A play and locked Portugal into third place behind Turkey and Serbia. It also eliminated Estonia, who fell to 1-4 in group competition.
The contest went down to the wire. Portugal built an 11-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, but Artur Konontsuk answered with three straight threes and a layup to give Estonia a late 64-61 lead.
Rafael Lisboa responded in clutch fashion. The 24-year-old guard buried a deep three-pointer with under a minute left, then converted four free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.
Lisboa finished with 17 points and five assists off the bench, carrying the offense when it mattered most. Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta added 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, while Miguel Queiroz contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
Travante Williams nearly posted a double-double with 11 points and eight boards, giving Portugal steady production on both ends of the floor.
Konontsuk led Estonia with 20 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting, while Kristian Kullamae chipped in 17 points and six assists. Janari Joesaar added 11, but Estonia’s late push fell short when Kullamae’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer missed.
Both teams shot just under 40% from the field, but Portugal capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 16 of 27 attempts compared to Estonia’s 7-for-9.
With the victory, Portugal advanced to face the Group B winner in the Round of 16 on Saturday. The achievement comes nearly two decades after the national team’s ninth-place finish in 2007, when EuroBasket was still limited to 16 teams.
