It was the second loss for the Latvian team in the qualifiers, but this one particularly stings as they had a 7-point lead up to the last minute of the game. 3.9 seconds before the end of the first overtime the game was tied after Chavdar Kostov missed two penalty shots for Bulgaria, but the miraculous cross-court last second shot by Aigars Šķēle unfortunately wasn't counted as it was too late. During the second overtime the Bulgarians proved to be the best team.
Didn't count but HOLY HELL THAT SHOT @Aigars_Skele #EuroBasket @basketbols pic.twitter.com/OuzKf244Pi
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) February 24, 2020
On the Latvian side Mārtiņš Meiers scored 27 points and Mareks Mejeris scored 26. Dee Bost scored the most points for the Bulgarian team with 26 points, which included a last-minute 3-pointer during the second overtime. Latvian player Artūrs Žagars made his debut on the court, helping lead the team to several 3-pointers playing as point guard.
The third qualifiers game for the Latvian team will be an away game on November 26 against Greece. The Latvian national team will also close out the EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers against Greece in February 2012. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the main tournament.