Gailītis after loss to Ukraine: 'No elegance, we must play at maximum'

Latvia's men's national basketball team suffered a defeat in a friendly match against Ukraine, and head coach Jānis Gailītis acknowledged afterward that the team needs to improve its defense and aggression ahead of upcoming qualification matches.

Gailītis noted that in the first half, Latvia failed to contain Ukraine's Svjatoslav Mykhailiuk, allowing him to create uncontrolled scoring opportunities. In the second half defense improved, with the Ukrainian player scoring only two points after the break. However, in the closing stages Latvia failed to cover Ukraine's point guard Kovliar, who scored from close range, and allowed several similar shots in the final minutes.

Preparing for qualification

Player Artūrs Strautiņš expressed disappointment over the loss, stressing that the team also needs to build a habit of winning in friendly matches. He said the team lacked aggression in the decisive moments, despite successfully containing Ukraine's leading players for much of the game. Latvia will soon face qualification matches against Croatia and Israel, where such defensive lapses cannot be repeated.

Gailītis said Ukraine's players competed physically and with intensity, while Latvia's team cannot yet call itself the most physical side. He said players must give maximum effort in every game, even if the result does not always look elegant. The coach also pointed to mental progress within the team and a desire to see more players take on leadership and aggressive roles.

Gailītis expressed confidence that the team can achieve something significant if it manages to control its attitude, cooperation and activity level during games. One of the near-term goals is to play well in an upcoming match in four days. He also reported that player Kārlis Šiliņš was struck during the game and underwent a medical check afterward, though there is hope this will not prevent him from continuing preparations with the team.