After five victories in a row against Latvia, France therefore cracked, unable to assume its role as favorite for a medal. Lagging behind, the Latvians threw all their forces into battle in the last quarter, and the “Gods of basketball rewarded them” according to Rudy Gobert, with this victory (88-86), synonymous with qualification for the second round.
“It’s the biggest victory in the history of Latvian basketball since 1935. It’s an incredible feeling to have so many fans in the hall, to come from Latvia, to have a long journey and to win a such a victory against one of the best teams in the world” reacted Davis Bertans at a press conference. “We felt like we were playing at home. It’s an incredible feeling. Honestly, words fail…”
For Vincent Collet, this defeat is ” a nightmare“, but the Latvians deserved their victory. They just wanted more. “Congratulations to Latvia. They fought for 40 minutes and were rewarded for their effort and determination.” underlines the coach of the Blues. “In the first three quarters we played a lot better, but it wasn’t enough because we suffered… We felt that our state of mind was not at the level of Latvia. I think that’s what made the difference in the last two minutes. »
Successor to Vincent Collet at the SIG, Luca Banchi played him a very nasty trick. “It is difficult to comment on a game like this. It’s just, wow. It was the first feeling that came to mind, at the end of the match, on the last shot, when I realized what we had done. says the Italian technician. “It was an incredible effort for 40 minutes, trying to stay in our plan, regardless of the stats… We did an amazing job. I think it’s time for our fans to celebrate, but above all our players need to take the time to appreciate the flavor of such a performance.”
