Latvia got arguably the biggest basketball win in the country's history on Sunday night, knocking France out of the FIBA World Cup — and Kristaps Porzingis was fired up.

It was clear that the victory was absolutely massive for Latvia, not only because it eliminated France, but because it was one of the best ever results for the country.

France was viewed as one of the favorites to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and they will now only play for 17th-32nd place. Although they were without Porzingis in the contest, Latvia was able to stun their fellow Europeans 88-86.

After losing their first two games, France will not have the opportunity to advance to the second round. Although Latvia trailed by 12 points after the third quarter, the team mounted a stunning comeback, outscoring France by 14 in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Free agent guard Arturs Zagars led the way for Latvia, scoring 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Rolands Smiths added 20 points of his own on 8-for-10 shooting in the upset victory.

Davis Bertans called the result “the biggest win in Latvia's basketball history since 1935,” after the Oklahoma City Thunder forward scored 15 points, including four three-pointers.

“I'm happy we had this many fans in the building making the long trip, beating one of the best teams in the world, and feeling we're playing at home,” Bertans said afterwards.

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“We were down by 11 in the third quarter at one point. Some teams would put their head down, knowing that the other team's stronger. But we kept pushing, having our crowd behind us. We knew we needed an opportunity and it came 37 seconds before the buzzer.”

 

“Win or lose, we have the motivation. We didn't come here just to participate. The more wins we can collect, the better the chances we'll have to do something special,” the 30-year-old explained.

France was forced to play the final minutes without Nando de Colo after he was ejected with a second technical foul with six minutes remaining. Although now eliminated, the team will still play in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as the host country.

Kristaps Porzingis' countrymen will now play for first place in the group against Canada as the 2023 FIBA World Cup continues for Latvia on Tuesday.