Latvia vs Lithuania EuroBasket Prep Games: Where to Watch and Game Preview

• → Game to take place at Xiaomi Arēna, Riga on Thursday, August 14 at 19:30 EEST (17:30 BST)
• → Latvia continue their EuroBasket tune-up at home after a 91–75 road loss to Italy, with Kristaps Porziņģis back in the lineup
• → Lithuania arrive 2–0 in prep under Rimas Kurtinaitis, with Rokas Jokubaitis running the show

A Baltic Derby in the Capital

Latvia–Lithuania never tiptoes. It leans into history, noise, and the sort of physicality that makes an August friendly feel like March basketball. Latvia come home from Trieste sharpened by a hard lesson against Italy and buoyed by the sight of Porziņģis in uniform. Lithuania bring rhythm from three convincing wins and a clear identity under Kurtinaitis: defend the paint, move the ball, and let their lead guard dictate tempo. For both, this is about tightening bolts before EuroBasket—just with a derby’s edge.

Latvia: Porziņģis back, roles taking shape

Luca Banchi’s group used the Italy game to reintroduce their offensive focal points. Porziņģis led Latvia with 14 points, Dāvis Bertāns popped for 13, Rihards Lomažs added 12, and Rolands Šmits chipped in 10. The immediate task tonight: cut the turnover rate, get cleaner on the defensive glass, and manufacture easier looks early in the clock. Expect Latvia to lean on pick-and-pop spacing for Porziņģis/Bertāns, post touches and trail threes for Šmits, and Lomažs to toggle between on-ball creation and second-side attacking. With the home crowd behind them and minutes ramping across the rotation, Latvia’s emphasis will be pace with control—and fewer empty trips.

Lithuania: Guard control, wing length, Valanciunas in the paint

Kurtinaitis has Lithuania looking purpose-built. They opened prep by beating Estonia 89–68, then rolled past Türkiye 91–70. Jokubaitis has set the tone—steady handle, pick-and-roll feel, and late-clock poise—while Margiris Normantas has carried scoring stretches, and Tadas Sedekerskis has supplied the connective tissue on the glass and in help. Eimantas Bendžius remains the spacing valve in second units. Notably, Jonas Valančiūnas has only featured in one of the prep games, and Sabonis is not part of this window—so Lithuania’s advantage has come from ball pressure, organized help at the elbows, and five-man rebounding. If they control tempo and win first-shot defense, they turn this into their kind of half-court game.

How to Watch Latvia vs Lithuania – EuroBasket Prep

Catch Latvia vs Lithuania live and on-demand from the Xiaomi arena via Courtside 1891 (add your competition link in the CMS). Unlock with a Max Day Pass or Max Annual Pass. Broadcast availability varies by territory.