Israel's World Cup Hopes End After Losses in Riga

The window that was supposed to keep Israel’s World Cup dream alive ended with a thud in Riga. Two games, two double‑digit defeats, and a campaign officially over.

On Sunday night it was Latvia who applied the final blow, 85-70, turning a 11-point second-quarter deficit into a comfortable win as Israel’s offense simply disappeared after halftime.

Bright start, brutal swing

For a stretch, Israel looked like a team playing for its life.

Lior Carrera and Netanel Artzi set the tone early, attacking confidently and pushing the pace. Eitan Burg came off the bench and immediately injected energy, capping the first quarter with a couple of sharp plays that nudged Israel ahead 22-21.

The second period briefly belonged to the blue-and-white. Guy Palatin and Burg drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, forcing a quick Latvian timeout. Israel smelled weakness and pounced. A 12-2 run, built on aggressive defense and quick transition, opened up a 40-29 lead – their biggest of the night. At that point, the group still looked very much alive.

Then the game flipped.

Latvia regrouped, tightened its execution, and began punishing every Israeli mistake. The hosts closed the half with a 12-1 surge, wiping out the entire advantage and walking into the locker room level at 41-41. Israel had spent a quarter building a cushion and lost it in a handful of minutes.

The momentum never really came back.

Latvia pull away as Israel fade

Artzi tried to drag Israel back into control, scoring the first five points of the third quarter. It was a short-lived revival. Latvia responded with an 8-2 run, seized a 49-48 lead, and never looked back.

Arturs Strautins took over large stretches of the second half, repeatedly finding space and rhythm as Latvia’s shooters stayed hot from deep. Every time Israel threatened, Strautins answered. The lead stretched to 58-52, forcing coach Ariel Beit Halachmi into a timeout. It didn’t change the tide. Latvia kept scoring, pushed the gap to 67-58, and Israel’s body language began to sag.

The final quarter opened with a dagger sequence: three straight Latvian triples, the lead ballooning to 76-62 with seven minutes still on the clock. Israel, stuck at 29 second-half points, had no response. The offense stalled, the legs looked heavy, and Latvia calmly played out the clock on Israel’s World Cup hopes.

Yam Madar led Israel with 15 points, Artzi added 11, while Itay Segev and Roman Sorkin chipped in 9 apiece. It wasn’t nearly enough.

“We don’t have the luxury”

Beit Halachmi didn’t hide from the problems.

“We started the game well, but toward the end of the second quarter we lost the momentum,” he said. “In the second half, we got into foul trouble, and that changed the momentum of the game. They shot a high percentage from 3-point range and took advantage of the mistakes we made.”

The coach pointed directly at the instability of his squad across the qualifying windows.

“I think we don’t have the luxury of showing up for international windows without our leading players. We were missing quite a few players, and that had an impact. Different players have been available for each window, and it’s difficult to implement a style of play. Israeli basketball doesn’t have the option of throwing away games; we need everyone with us.”

He also underlined the contrast with other national teams that have been able to build continuity with the same core over time, while making sure to thank the Latvian Basketball Association for its support in hosting Israel.

Sorkin, one of the few consistent bright spots over the two games, turned the spotlight on the players.

“From the players’ side, which I’m part of, we have to look better. We can’t look like this. We need to play better,” he said. “I’m speaking about myself right now and not criticizing anyone else. I have no excuses; the only thing I know is that we have to play better and show up differently for games.”

Poland set the tone for a harsh window

By the time Latvia finished the job, the damage had really been done two nights earlier.

Poland had already exposed Israel’s vulnerabilities in the opening game of the second round, running away 106-86 in a contest that was largely decided before the fourth quarter.

Poland came out flying. Mateusz Ponitka, Jordan Loyd and Aleksander Balcerowski dictated the tempo early, imposing their physicality and shot-making as Poland built an eight-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The second period only deepened the problems. Loyd found his groove, and Israel stumbled into halftime trailing 55-42, already chasing shadows.

Sorkin, Madar and Tamir Blatt tried to rally after the break, but the Polish backcourt and wings kept answering. Andrzej Pluta and Jarosław Zyskowski knocked down shots, stretched the floor and steadily widened the gap. Israel produced an excellent final quarter, flirting with a comeback and briefly hinting at a dramatic finish, yet the hole was too deep. Poland closed out a resounding 20-point win and set the tone for a punishing weekend.

Two games in Riga, the same story at the end: opponents riding hot shooting and cohesion, Israel chasing, adjusting, and ultimately running out of answers.

The World Cup is gone now. The real question for Israel is whether this painful window finally forces the continuity and commitment Beit Halachmi keeps asking for, or whether the national team will keep arriving to these stages a step behind before the ball has even gone up.