Gilas Pilipinas will face off against the Kristaps Porzingis-less Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Paris 2024.
It’s official.
Kristaps Porzingis, the leading star for the Latvian national team, has been ruled out of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga.
Following his NBA championship victory with the Boston Celtics, Porzingis underwent surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. As a result, the 28-year-old big man is projected to be sidelined for five to six months, preventing him from participating in the tournament, and possibly Paris 2024.
[ALSO READ: Kristaps Porzingis headlines 24-man Latvia pool vs Gilas in FIBA OQT]
Nonetheless, Latvia will still banner a strong lineup that includes eight players from the 2023 FIBA World Cup where they finished 5th, a historic run for the world championship first timers.
The World Cup crew crossing over to the OQT include Charlotte Hornets forward Davis Bertans, his brother Dairis Bertans, Rodions Kurucs, Rolands Smits, Arturs Strautins, Klavs Cavars, Kristers Zoriks, and Arturs Zagars, who broke the World Cup single game record for assists with 17 during the 5th-place game vs. Lithuania.
Arturs Kurucs, Marcis Steinbergs, and Anzejs Pasecniks were the final players cut by head coach Luca Banchi to finalize the roster for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga.
Pitted in Group A, Latvia will face Georgia on Wednesday and the Philippines on Thursday (PHL time).
[ALSO READ: FIBA OQT: Gilas Pilipinas schedule, where to watch, and all else you need to know]
Finishing first or second in Group A will lead to a semifinal matchup against a team from Group B (Brazil, Cameroon, or Montenegro) on Sunday.
The winner of Sunday's final will qualify for the Olympics, joining host France, Germany, and Japan in Group B of the preliminary stage of the Olympic basketball tournament.
Final 12-player squad:
- Dairis Bertans (VEF Riga)
- Davis Bertans (Charlotte Hornets)
- Klavs Cavars (Yokohama Excellence)
- Rodions Kurucs (UCAM Murcia)
- Rihards Lomazs (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)
- Mareks Mejeris (U-BT Cluj-Napoca)
- Rolands Smits (Anadolu Efes)
- Arturs Strautins (Bertram Derthona Tortona)
- Janis Strelnieks (Monbus Obradoiro)
- Janis Timma (Monbus Obradoiro)
- Arturs Zagars (Fenerbahce Beko)
- Kristers Zoriks (Aliaga Petkimspor)
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Story Summary:
- Kristaps Porzingis sidelined from FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga due to post-NBA championship surgery.
- Latvia's strong roster for the tournament still feature key players from their historic 2023 FIBA World Cup performance, including Davis Bertans and Arturs Zagars.
- Latvia, featuring NBA and EuroLeague talents, faces Georgia and the Philippines in Group A for a shot at Olympic qualification.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]