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Latvia have a 3-0 score for a reason

The Swedes will try to slow down the quick Latvian offense and counterattacks. A new defeat would significantly reduce their chances of getting to the Eurobasket, while for Latvia a victory at home would bring them a step away from the Eurobasket

Latvia lead their group with a 3-0 score and a scoring ratio of +55. After +12 in Sweden and +20 against Slovakia, they beat Romania 88-65. Although they are far above the Romanian team in quality, the 2-0 score of the opponents urged caution. The first half did not give them the desired outcome and it was just +1 at halftime. However, they played a fantastic second half and completely outplayed the away team. A 13-0 series gave them a 56-42 lead, and they reached 71-53 with seven minutes to go, deciding the game.

They were better in rebounding 37-27, in assists 19-10, and also had 5 less turnovers. 32 awarded free throws prove that they were much more aggressive. Four players scored double digit points in the end, led by guard Blums at 17, who also said:

- The Romanian team have us a lot of trouble on offense in the first half. In the second period we got into our rhythm and everything changed. We controlled the rebounds and ran counterattacks. Defense was great as well.

It's worth singling our 8 points and 9 rebounds by Berzins, as well as 12 points and 6 assists by Strelnieks.

The Swedish team got to the Slovakian away match in a very difficult situation. They had a 0-2 score and a loss would have practically removed them from Eurobasket. The home team were in a similar situation, but with a home ground advantage.

They did not open the match well, and were behind 26-20 after 10 minutes. Then their defense awoke, and the score at halftime was 40-40. Led by Person, they put together an 11-0 series in the second half, with Pita's free throws closing the quarter to bring the team a huge +16 lead.

The last 10 minutes saw a little crisis for the Swedes, but they will still composed enough to stay in the lead and win 75-72.

The leading scorers were Pahlmbad with 14 and Kjellbom and Gaddefors with 13 points.

- It was a very difficult match. We allowed Slovakia to score only 8 points in the third quarter, and that period ultimately brought us victory-  commented coach Bosnić, pleased with the outcome, while their best scorer Pahlmbad had some criticism:

- Just like against Romania, we made some stupid decisions, and we need to learn from them for the future.

They are now playing away against Latvia who lead the group with 3 decisive victories, one against Sweden too, when they lost 62-50 at home in the first round. It will be interesting to see who manages to impose their rhythm today. The Swedish team base everything on defense, while the Latvians prefer a fast paced match.