Basketball: Georgia overcame Latvia in warm-up encounter [VIDEO] #1TVSPORT

The Latvian capital, Riga, hosted a friendly match between the national teams of Georgia and Latvia. Despite the fixture being a warm-up game, it turned into a fiercely contested battle, which ultimately ended in an 87-77 victory for the Georgians.

The Georgian national basketball team is scheduled to face Ukraine in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Riga on July 2. It was for this very reason that the team decided to hold their training camp in Latvia.

Returning to Riga’s Xiaomi Arena clearly gave the Georgian players an emotional lift. It was in this very arena that the team famously defeated France to advance to the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2025.

Georgia exploded out of the blocks with a 9-0 run. Although the Latvians managed to claw their way back and take the lead later in the opening quarter, the first half undeniably belonged to Georgia. In the second period, the “Crusaders” [Georgian national team] surged ahead by as many as 18 points (39-21), before heading into the main break with an eight-point cushion at 47-39.

How did the visitors build such a commanding lead? There were several factors, but two stood out: first, a rock-solid defensive display; second, exceptional precision from beyond the arc. In the opening 15 minutes, Georgia shot a blistering 6-of-8 from three-point range, with Duda Sanadze sinking three of his four attempts.

Latvia looked the sharper side in the fourth period. They ignited the quarter with an 11-0 run to leapfrog the visitors at 67-65. However, Georgia quickly hit back. Ochkhikidze and Andronikashvili stepped up superbly to support Reed, Sanadze, Bitadze, and Burjanadze, steering their team to a comfortable 10-point victory.

Individual Takeaways

While the head coach was understandably fine-tuning tactical combinations, the individual performances provided the most intriguing talking points: Point guard Marcquise Reed and Goga Bitadze shared the court for the very first time. Despite moments showing they have yet to fully integrate, they evidently possess the potential to become a devastating pairing capable of troubling the world’s elite sides.

Beka Burjanadze made his return after a nearly four-month injury layoff. He looked sharp and made vital contributions on both ends of the floor.

Duda Sanadze was as clinical as ever from the perimeter, while Aleksandre Merkviladze drained his eighth consecutive three-pointer in a national team jersey. Furthermore, homegrown players from the Georgian domestic league put in highly productive shifts, spearheaded by Giorgi Ochkhikidze.

Match Statistics

Latvia 77–87 Georgia (17-29, 22-18, 17-18, 21-22)

Georgia: Reed (23 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast), Burjanadze (11 pts), Sanadze (12 pts, 4 ast), Bitadze (18 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast), Ochkhikidze (7 pts), Merkviladze (6 pts), Andronikashvili (11 pts), Jintcharadze, Kobakhidze, Turdziladze, Pevadze.

Looking Ahead

A pivotal clash against Ukraine awaits on July 2. Team captain Tornike Shengelia is already in Riga and will feature in that match; coaches rested him against Latvia following a gruelling club season. Meanwhile, Sandro Mamukelashvili is currently in the United States sorting out contract details, leaving a question mark over whether he will arrive in time for the July 2nd showdown.