Despite a breezy start Thursday in Lille, France, which saw them holding a 17-point lead at one point, the Latvian national men's basketball team fell to Greece 90:97 in match for 5th to 8th place at the European Men's Basketball Championships.
Latvia will now play for 7th place, which is the final Olympic qualification spot up for grabs.
Latvia will play the Czech Republic in the make-or-break game Friday evening in a winner-takes-all encounter.
A victory would provide a huge boost to the sport and provide a suitable climax to what has been generally acknowledged as a fine fighting performance by the national team despite its dearth of major stars.
The highest scorer Thursday for Latvia was Kristaps Janicenoks with 22 points, followed by 14 points a piece from Mareks Mejeris and Dairis Bertans.
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