Israel Eliminated from FIBA World Cup Qualifiers After Loss to Latvia

The Israeli national basketball team has been officially eliminated from the FIBA World Cup qualifiers after suffering a decisive 85-70 loss to Latvia in the second round of the second qualification stage. The defeat followed a significant 106-86 loss to Poland the previous week, which had already severely damaged Israel's chances of advancing.

Israel, coached by Ariel Beit-Halami, entered the game hoping for a victory that might offer a slim chance of progression. Latvia, also seeking to recover from a heavy 115-80 defeat to Croatia in their first game, aimed to secure a win on home court. The two nations had not met since 2014, when Israel emerged victorious with a 94-86 win.

The game started at a high pace, with Israel showing early aggression. Despite a strong effort in the first half, which ended in a 41-41 tie, Israel struggled to maintain momentum. Latvia, led by key players like Arturs Strautins and Rihards Lomasz, gradually took control in the second half, building a lead that Israel could not overcome.

In the third quarter, Latvia established a 67-58 lead, and despite Israel's attempts to rally, Latvia extended their advantage in the final period. Strautins and Lomasz were instrumental in Latvia's scoring, while Israel's efforts, including those from Yam Madar and Roman Sorkin, were insufficient to close the gap. The Latvian team managed the closing minutes effectively to secure the win and end Israel's World Cup qualification hopes.