Bagatskis: Ukraine Edges Aggressive Latvia in Warm-Up Clash
Ukraine's national basketball team defeated Latvia 84:82 in a warm-up game, with head coach Ainars Bagatskis praising Latvia's aggressive play and his own star Svyatoslav Mykhailiuk's 25-point performance.
Ukraine's national basketball team narrowly defeated Latvia 84:82 in a warm-up match. Speaking at the post-game press conference, Ukraine head coach Ainars Bagatskis said his team had beaten an aggressive opponent backed by strong crowd support, noting that Latvia's physical, at times rough, play forced Ukraine to attempt 40 free throws. He said his players need to learn to handle any type of defense and must avoid childish mistakes and emotional lapses if Ukraine wants to advance further in the qualification campaign.
Bagatskis also addressed a brief exchange with Latvia's captain Dairis Bertāns early in the game following a technical foul call, describing it as a routine on-court moment and calling Bertāns a skilled provocateur who is difficult to play against.
Offense-driven team
The coach admitted he was surprised by his team's ten steals during the game, attributing the number to the physical pressure Ukraine applied on opponents. He said the figure could have been even higher but expressed satisfaction with the team's mood ahead of the decisive match.
Bagatskis singled out Utah Jazz guard Svyatoslav Mykhailiuk, who scored 25 points against Latvia. The coach said his main job is ensuring Mykhailiuk receives the ball at the right time and place, since opposing defenses play smart against him, though not always successfully.
Asked to assess Latvia's national team, Bagatskis said its main strength lies in offense rather than defense, particularly with players such as Kristaps Zoriks, Dairis Bertāns and Rodions Kurucs on the floor.
He also confirmed that Euroleague center Alex Len had wanted to help Ukraine's national team this summer but has not yet recovered from injury.
Ukraine enters the second round of qualification with a 4-2 record, which Bagatskis said did not surprise him, drawing parallels with a similar situation during the previous qualification cycle. Ukraine's next World Cup qualifier is scheduled for August 28 in Riga against Greece.
