By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Kristaps Porzingis revisited the intensity in international games, compared to his experience in the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics in 2024, but also enjoyed the atmosphere in Xiaomi Arena for the meeting between Latvia and Estonia.
“It was a hard-fought game. The atmosphere was unbelievable. Maybe not the prettiest game from us. But I think fans enjoy this kind of game, when it is a battle, back-and-forth,” the 30-year-old forward/center said in a postgame press conference, “It was a fun game to be a part of. I am just happy that we came out with a win.”
“These types of games, in the end, will be about switching and individual matchups. And they had a player we couldn’t guard one-on-one,” mentioned losing head coach Heiko Rannula, referring to Porzingis tallying eight of a game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter.
The crowd support also helped Latvia rally past its Baltic neighbor on Friday.
“The intensity is there, for sure,” the native of Liepaja compared the atmosphere to the NBA Finals, “Here, in every game, for some reason it feels tighter, the court feels tighter. Maybe because I had seven turnovers or whatever, that’s how I’m blaming it on the court.”
“In these high-intensity games, where it’s so loud, you can’t hear anything, there is a bigger chance for something to go wrong,” he added, “It’s extra important to keep a cool head in this kind of environment. To compare it, it’s both high-level intensities, and those are the best games to be a part of as a player.”
Bouncing back from a disappointing loss to Turkiye on Wednesday, the Group A hosts improved to 1-1 with a comeback win, pushing Estonia to 0-2.
“I am very happy that the team found the resources to respond. Starting from an amazing defensive effort, we completely changed the game,” noted head coach Luca Banchi.
Photo Credit: FIBA