Israel Basketball Team Suffers Blowout Loss to Latvia After Squandering Double-Digit Lead

The Israeli national basketball team lost to Latvia 85-70 in Riga on Sunday, squandering a double-digit lead they held during the first half. Despite a strong start led by Yam Madar, Israel could not contain Latvia's comeback, which was spearheaded by Arturs Strautins. Israel's chances of qualifying for the FIBA World Cup were already slim heading into the game, but they had hoped to show improved performance.

Israel initially played well, with effective ball movement and open three-pointers. By the start of the second quarter, they had built a lead that peaked at 11 points. However, Latvia, fueled by the home crowd and Strautins' excellent shooting, began to close the gap. A Latvian three-pointer at the halftime buzzer tied the game at 41-41.

In the second half, Israel struggled to regain its earlier form, appearing low on energy and focus. Defensive weaknesses allowed Latvia to continue scoring from various positions, and the home team steadily increased their lead to secure the 85-70 victory.

Yam Madar was Israel's top scorer with 15 points, followed by Deni Avdija with 11, and Roi Sagi and Roman Sorkin with 9 each. Kadyn Carrington had a poor shooting night, scoring only 2 points on 1-of-8 shooting. For Latvia, Strautins led all scorers with 29 points, including six three-pointers, with Rihards Lomašs adding 18 and Krister Zoriks contributing 16.