PARIS (AP) — Nauris Miezis made a 2-pointer with 41 seconds left to help defending champion Latvia remain perfect in pool play with a 22-20 victory over France on Friday in men’s 3×3 basketball at the Paris Olympics.
The big shot by Miezis, who had 10 points, improved Latvia to 5-0 in pool play.
Franck Seguela’s basket for France with just more than a minute left tied it at 20. Miezis then hit his fourth 2-pointer of the game to give Latvia the win.
Seguela had 10 points for France, which fell to 2-3 in pool play.
Seguela and Timothe Vergiat made consecutive 2-pointers to put France up 17-15 with 2½ minutes to go. But Miezis made a 2-pointer to start a 4-0 run that put Latvia up 19-17.
Lucas Dussoulier hit a 2-pointer to tie it before Karlis Lasmanis’ basket put Latvia up by one with about 90 seconds left.
Worthy de Jong, Arvin Slagter and Dimeo van der Horst each scored six points to help the Netherlands to the win.
The game was tied before the Netherlands used a 5-1 run, with the first three points coming from Slagter, to take a 19-15 lead with about two minutes to go.
Poland made the next two points, but van der Horst made a basket before Slagter’s free throw ended it with 1:22 remaining.
Przemysław Zamojski had eight points for Poland, which fell to 2-3 in pool play.
The Netherlands improved to 4-2 in pool play by beating Lithuania for its second win Friday.
The game was tied with 33 seconds left after a 2-point shot by Evaldas Dziaugys. Slagter then made a 2-pointer before a basket by de Jong at the buzzer put the Netherlands up 19-16.
Slagter was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct foul and Gintautas Matulis made two free throws, but the Netherlands had its victory.
Aurelijus Pukelis had seven points for Lithuania.
Dziaugys had nine points and Pukelis added eight to push Lithuania past China.
Lithuania led by six before China used a 3-0 run to cut the lead to 19-16 with 1½ minutes to play. But Sarunas Vingelis hit a 2-pointer to help close it out.
China went 0 for 9 on 2-point shots while Lithuania made three of its nine attempts.
Lithuania is 3-3 in pool play after a win and loss Friday and China fell to 1-4.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
