Latvia U20 continues placement battle against Israel
Tonight at 21:30, Latvia's U20 basketball team meets Israel at the European Championship; winners play for 9th place, losers for 11th.
Latvia's U20 basketball team plays its next game at the European Championship tonight, July 18, at 21:30, facing Israel. The result will determine whether Latvia fights for 9th place or plays for 11th place.
In the group stage, Latvia beat Poland but lost to Lithuania and Serbia. In the round of 16, after a promising first half, they fell to Germany (72:88), moving into the placement round for 9th-16th. On Thursday, Latvia defeated Romania convincingly (94:60), securing a spot in the top division for next year's championship. This is the team's first year in the top division since 2019.
Opponent Israel lost to Greece in the round of 16 (66:79) but then crushed Italy (84:59). Israel's point guard Jonathan Kelner scored 19 points, while Oren Sahr added 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Sahr debuted last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli league, averaging 4.6 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game. He will move to the NCAA next season.
Earlier tonight at 19:00, Lithuania and Poland face off. The winner of that game will play the winner of Latvia vs. Israel for 9th place on Sunday, while the losers compete for 11th place. Those games are scheduled for Sunday at 13:30 and 16:00.
