2023 FIBA World Cup: Latvia’s run comes to an end with 81-79 loss to Germany

Scrambling to get a shot off with mere seconds left, Davis Bertans managed to grab the defensive rebound and pushed the pace to shoot a deep right-wing 3-pointer as time expired.

The ball hit the rim and missed. Just like that, Latvia’s Cinderella run came to an end with an 81-79 loss to Germany in the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.

The tight back-and-fourth contest saw neither team lead by more than 14 points. Germany held a small 36-34 halftime lead over Latvia. Entering the fourth quarter, Germany held a tiny 62-59 lead.

With less than three minutes to go, it looked like Latvia’s magic finally ran out as Germany built up a double-digit lead. Instead, Latvia had one final push left in itself as it almost erased a 10-point deficit with 2:24 remaining. It closed the game on a 10-2 run that went in vain with the loss.

Despite the heartbreaking loss as the game slowly slipped away from them, Bertans was excellent for Latvia. In 34 minutes, he had 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting and two rebounds. He went 6-of-13 from 3 to lead Latvia’s offense.

Bertans previewed the type of performance he’d have in an elimination game with three quick 3-pointers to start off the game. The 30-year-old showed off his range with several deep 3-point attempts.

Alas, Bertans’ most important shot attempt was a bit too strong as he missed the chance to hit a game-winner. He immediately sulked following the buzzer but Latvia’s run was impressive in itself and should be a point of pride for him.

Let’s look at instant reactions and highlights from Latvia’s two-point loss.

Story originally appeared on Thunder Wire