[Day 3a] Game B/7: Latvia - Italy

[rusher2]

Latvia will have no wins here. Draw put them in strongest group.

But, I don't think they would do much better in other groups either. If this was round robin (23 games, each team against each other), my estimation is Latvia would finish with 2-21 record, 50%-50% game vs Portugal and some chances vs Poland, Ukraine, Belgium and Finland. Other 18 games sure losses. Placement 23rd or 24th, depending on h2h vs Portugal.

Before Eurobasket we won Georgia 84:73 and Great Britain 74:51... these were our last two preparatory games, so I wouldn't say it would all be hopeless... The team has made a long way from the loss to Lithuanian students...

I think we'd have 50-50 against a number of teams.... Today's game, for example, we lost only because of inexperience... missed free throws, rush in the offence in 4th quarter etc. There wasn't any miracles in this game, no Blūms or someone else best game in his/her life, no crazy 3 pointer percentage... just inexperience and 57% in free throws.... 57%...... due to shaking hands, thinking about the possible first win against big team in Eurobasket...


Players were really sad after this game... They knew they could win it... Don't know how it'll be for the last two games as now they are in pretty bad condition...

Of course we are not as good to play Serbia, France yet, maybe even Israel too (they might be better than Italy anyways) but this, imho, was one of these our 50-50 games... I really believe so. And it wasn't just some game... Italians badly needed to win this and Latvia made them work for this win... the fact that italy's two leaders played 36 minutes is the best evidence...