Bagatskis: Latvia's real strength lies in offense, says Ukraine coach
Ukraine head coach Ainars Bagatskis said after beating Latvia in a friendly that Latvia's national team's main talent lies in offense rather than defense. Latvia continues preparing for the second round of World Cup qualification.
Latvia's men's basketball national team lost a friendly match to Ukraine in Riga on August 23, as part of preparations for the continuation of the second round of 2027 World Cup qualification. After the game, Ukraine head coach Ainars Bagatskis shared his assessment of the opposing team.
Bagatskis noted that Latvia played aggressively with strong crowd support, making the win meaningful, though he reminded his own players that their real goals still lie ahead. In his view, Latvia's main talent is found in offense rather than defense, and the team's play shifts noticeably depending on whether players like Kristers Zoriks, Rihards Lomažs or Artūrs Strautiņš are on the floor.
Free throws and emotions
During the game, Latvia's players earned 40 free throws, which Bagatskis commented on with mixed feelings — acknowledging that those free throws helped keep Latvia competitive, while also stressing that his own team must learn to adapt to different defensive styles and avoid unnecessary emotional lapses in order to advance further in qualification.
Ukraine's win was driven largely by Svyatoslav Mykhailiuk, who finished with 25 points. The player, who represents the NBA's Utah Jazz, was described by Bagatskis as someone capable of scoring regardless of the defense used against him.
What comes next
In the second round of qualification, Latvia will travel to face Croatia on August 27 and host Israel at home on August 30. In Group K, Poland leads with a 6-0 record, followed by Croatia and Germany with five wins each. Latvia sits fourth with three wins in six games, while the Netherlands and Israel have opened the second round with two wins apiece.
