On Sunday, two of the best European big man in the NBA today faced off during the match between Latvia and Lithuania, as part of their build up for the EuroBasket 2017. New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas had the spotlight on them throughout the match, as they were both expected to lead their teams to victory.
As expected, both of them did not disappoint by having brilliant all around games, despite defending one another on some stretches during their time on the court. However, there was one play were the 7-foot-3 Latvian was called for a technical foul as he flopped against Valanciunas, hoping to draw an offensive foul from him.
Even with the unwanted play, Porzingis just smiled it off and did not contest the call anymore with the referees. That said, he did not lose his focus and continued to play solid basketball, helping his country win against the silver medallists from the last EuroBasket tournament, 87-77.
Porzingis scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, proving once again that he is a rising star in the NBA and that Latvia could turn out to be a dark horse in Europe. It also shows how much he’s improved his game, not only in the league but also in international competitions.
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