2024-08-06 17:37:31
Latvians, who had already secured first place in the group, beat Poland in the final subgroup game with a score of 22:16. Our national team finished the main tournament in first place and will play the semi-finals on Monday, as well as the decisive fight for the prize after that.
The Polish team is more unusual than the others, as it includes several professional basketball players, and the 2.15-meter-tall Adrians Boguckis is by far the tallest player in the 3×3 tournament. He also blocked the Bear several times during the game.
“That’s the sport, not everything will always work out in basketball,” the Latvian national team player said about these episodes, expressing that covering such an opponent is like any tall player – he is a bit slower, not so dangerous from the outside. In addition, it should not be forgotten that, despite the blocks, Latvia celebrated the victory. “The Polish national team has all kinds of little tricks, five-on-five in the help defense, which you shouldn’t do in this sport. That’s why they only have two wins because they often get punished for that.”
Latvia had one day off before this match. The bear says that the team rested, rejuvenated and slept in it. “This was a good match to warm up for tomorrow’s decisive matches. We go every day as if it were the last, the goal was to win today as well and we are not looking at tomorrow,” said the player, not denying that at times, perhaps subconsciously, he had the feeling that this game did not really make a difference.
The day on which the Latvian national team will fight for Olympic medals will start like all the others – the young players of the national team Francis Lācis and Zigmārs Raimo will bring experienced Nauris Miez and Kārlis Lasmanis breakfast in bed. “It’s a tradition, you can’t live without it,” Lācis says seriously. The Latvian national team will watch the quarterfinal matches tonight in the Olympic Village. “Let’s go home and probably after the procedures we will all sit together and watch the games. Then we’ll see what we have tomorrow. We must not indulge in any provocations, we must not forget that these were only group matches and the most important ones are yet to come.”
Franci is supported by her dad, mom, brother and girlfriend in Paris. “Having family here is a huge support. Families are there for all the players, it’s very strong, I couldn’t wish for anything more in my first Olympics.”
2024-08-06 17:37:31