In a contest determining the 5th to 8th place rankings at the FIBA World Cup, Latvia prevailed over Italy with a final score of 87:82.
Latvia led throughout the game and even had a 12-point advantage in the final quarter. However, Italy fought back after Marco Spissu’s three-pointer, narrowing the score to 84-82.
After a timeout, Latvia responded well, with Andrejs Grazulis sinking another three-pointer to increase their lead to an insurmountable 87-82. This victory earns Latvia a chance to compete for fifth place.
Latvia will play for the 5th spot on Saturday ๐ช#FIBAWC x #WinForLatvia ๐ฑ๐ป
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ๐ (@FIBAWC) September 7, 2023
Grazulis delivered an outstanding performance, tallying 28 points, while Aigars Skele contributed 12, and Arturs Zagars added 10 for Latvia. On the Italian side, which will battle for seventh place against the loser of the Lithuania vs. Slovenia match, Luigi Datome led the scoring with 20 points, supported by Stefano Tonut and Nicolo Melli, each contributing 11. Italy’s star player, Simone Fontecchio, did not enter the game.
The first quarter witnessed an impressive Italy, guided by Luigi Datome, who played one of his final career matches, establishing a 13-point lead.
However, Latvia came alive in the second quarter, finding their three-point shot range with Grazulis leading the charge. Italy’s lead dwindled to just four points at halftime, with the score at 46-42 in favor of Latvia.
Building on their strong performance in the second quarter, Latvia continued to dominate in the third, reaching a double-digit lead, which they maintained until the closing minutes when Italy closed the gap to just two points.
Ultimately, Grazulis, the standout player of the match, sealed the deal with a crucial three-pointer, marking Latvia’s 15th three-pointer of the game and securing the victory.