As expected, the quarterfinals matchup between Slovenia and Latvia at the 2017 Eurobasket tournament turned out to be a hotly contested one. With their lineups including some of the best players of the tournament, many had their eyes set on Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic and New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis. The two did not disappoint, as they both had strong games for their home countries, Dragic finished with 26 points six rebounds, eight assists and a steal while Porzingis had 34 points, six rebounds, and a blocked shot. Young Slovenian star Luca Doncic added 27 points and nine rebounds while Davis Bertans added 23 points and three assists while knocking down six triples for Latvia.
One of the guys helping Dragic is from former NBA player Anthony Randolph, who finished the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. However, there was one play which caught a lot of people’s attention, and it was not because of his scoring or rebounding. The incident occurred when his arm got tangled with Porzingis’, and he tried to get loose by pulling it, which could’ve left the Latvian hurt. Randolph’s action caused a confrontation, which led to both players receiving a technical foul each.
Here's Anthony Randolph's cheap shot on Porzingis that led the technicals: pic.twitter.com/M8fszIXQ0Q
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) September 12, 2017
The good news was the unwanted incident did not take away anything from both squads’ high level of play throughout the match. They entertained the crowd on hand, and did not allow each other to hold a big lead. Ultimately, the Slovenians won 103-97, to advance to the next round.
It’s only the second time in their history that they will make it to the Semifinals of the EuroBasket competition, and are looking to be a very difficult team to beat this year. However, their quest for a gold medal finish faces a big roadblock in front of them, as they are now set to meet European powerhouse Spain, who are also the defending champions of the tournament.
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