a The first men's national team had won Ukraine for every 77-79In Riga in an exciting way!
This is his first victory Portugal In the Qualification for EuroBasket 2025. With this result, after two rounds, the Portuguese team occupies a qualified place.
The confrontation against Ukraine had two different parts, until the end of the first half our national team controlled the operations, providing a high-quality first half.
The Portuguese team seemed to be inspired by its shooting style from the outside, as it scored five three-pointers out of a total of six shots, and entered the break leading 32-47.
When they returned from the locker room, the roles were reversed, as Ukraine responded and built a 27-15 deficit in the third quarter, eventually taking the lead.
The last ten minutes were exciting, neither team came out, and the idea of extra time was looming on the horizon.
And in the last moments, Travante Williams He took the lead, and with a clear two-point shot and possession, it was over for us.
On the statistical side, Portugal recorded 12 hat-tricks and nine steals, and stood out on an individual level Miguel Queiroz (21 points, 5/10 2p, 2/3 3p, 5/6 lp, 6res, 1ast, 1rb) and Diogo Gameiro (12 points, 4/5 3p, 3res, 2ast, 1dl).
Following the match, Diogo Gameiro highlighted the significance of this result: “It was an emotional match, but the most important thing was the win. We performed very well against Israel, we almost won, but this was a really important victory for us. We had an unbelievable first half. We didn't start the third quarter well, but we stayed together to get this important win. Just like in the first game against Israel, in which nothing was lost, today nothing is guaranteed or gained. It was a very important step to be In Eurobasket, he stressed that this is our goal, and we will continue to fight to achieve all possible victories.
National team coach Mario Gomez, who celebrates his 67th birthday on Sunday, analyzed the match as follows: “We played very well in the first half, but this often happens in basketball. The players feel a little euphoric, because everything is going well.” And after that, it's difficult to respond. There was also an advantage from Ukraine, because they fought and showed that they are a good team with character. In the end, there was a hint of luck that we did not have last Thursday. I left that match on Thursday with a reinforced confidence that we We will achieve our goal. Regardless of today's result, I will maintain the same frame of mind. And that will be until the end. We have no idea what will happen in nine months, and that is the difficult part of this competition. It is about continuing to work as hard as I have done so far. Until then “Relatively soon, we could not discuss matches with these characteristics against teams of this level. We are fighting on equal terms, and we are not playing against weak teams.”
Overall, the national team has achieved one win and one defeat after two rounds and is in third place in Group A. The qualifiers return on November 22, with Portugal winning the title. Sloveniawhich struck this Sunday Israel for every 88-79.
At the end of the match, the President of the Portuguese Basketball Federation said: Manuel FernandezHe did not fail to congratulate Portugal's victory in Latvia: “Congratulations to everyone, the coaching staff, the managers, the sports medical support, the remaining staff and of course our players. With this result, we have taken the first important step towards qualifying for the Eurobasket Championship. We said from the beginning what we were saying, and here we are.” Desperately determined to beat Ukraine. The competition was intense, but your commitment, ambition and unmistakable attitude, was evident in the photo we saw on RTP2. With a heart full of joy and a good sense of duty accomplished, this is the (short) time to savor it. A peaceful and relaxing journey home to you In Portugal and Spain.
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February 25, 2024
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