The reigning European champions experienced a disappointing start to the qualifying phase for Eurobasket 2025 in Zaragoza. A challenging match against Latvia resulted in a defeat for the Spanish men’s basketball team (75-79).
The match, which took place at the Príncipe Felipe Pavilion in Zaragoza, saw the return of Ricky Rubio. Rubio, the team’s leader, had his first game in over a year, and while his period of inactivity was evident, his leadership and determination were clear.
Despite Spain’s best efforts, the team struggled to maintain a strong performance throughout the game. Latvia, which previously defeated the Spanish team in the last World Cup, managed to regain control of the game in the last quarter, once again thwarting Spain’s efforts.
Rubio’s struggle with mental health caused him to miss the World Cup. However, he served as a strong leader, despite Spain’s defence being slow to establish a connection. The Spanish team also had to contend with the injury of player Joel Parra.
Darío Brizuela was responsible for initiating the Spanish comeback, helping to reduce Latvia’s lead (11-21). Despite a solid defence from Spain in the second quarter, consecutive triples by Timma and another by Lomaz gave Latvia a firm lead (33-40).
Rubio, alongside Juancho Hernangómez and Xabi López-Arostegui, managed to close the gap by half-time (37-40). However, Spain’s performance after the interval was lacklustre, prompting coach Scariolo to express his frustration during a time-out. Nevertheless, Spain managed to improve their game, with stand-out performances from Seba Saiz and Jaime Pradilla (53-55).
With two consecutive layups, Brizuela was able to equalize the score. However, Spain’s momentum cooled in the final quarter. Despite losing Grazulis to fouls, Latvia’s Lomaz stepped up. Scariolo entrusted control of the game to Rubio, who scored his first basket of the game three minutes from the end.
Despite a strong performance, Spain was unable to secure a victory. Latvia remained undeterred, even when faced with a vital triple by Timma with just one minute remaining (68-73). Rubio also scored a three-pointer, but Lomaz’s response sealed the fate of the match.
Despite this setback, Spain remains a strong contender for Eurobasket. They will have an opportunity to prove their worth in a match against Belgium on Sunday. The team will also be preparing for the Pre-Olympic games in July, with the return of Rubio being a key factor.
The final scores for the match were as follows: Spain, 75 – Latvia, 79. The starting lineups for both teams were:
Spain: Rubio (11), López-Arostegui (10), Juancho Hernangómez (8), Parra (-) and Pradilla (14) with Abalde (3), Alocén (-), Brizuela (16), Claver (5), Díaz (1), Saiz (7), Sima (-) as substitutes.
Latvia: Bertans (1), Zoriks (6), R. Kurucs (9), Grazulis (13) y Cavars (6) with Timma (11), Strautins (2), Lomaz (18), A. Kurucs (-), Steinbergs (7), Silins (4), Leimanis (2) as substitutes.
Referees for the match were Zurapovic, Mitrovski and Attard. Grazulis, R.Kurucs and Lomaz were eliminated due to fouls. The match was watched by 10,533 spectators at the Príncipe Felipe Pavilion in Zaragoza.
