After a promising start to EuroBasket, Portugal led by Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta faced a setback over the weekend in group play. The team dropped to 1-2 in Group A following a heavy 95-54 loss to undefeated Turkey on Saturday. Queta was Portugal’s standout performer, finishing with a team-best 15 points and seven rebounds in just 23 minutes. He also led all players in free throw attempts, hitting 7 of 9. Unfortunately, he received little support from his teammates, as Portugal shot only 30 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers in the lopsided defeat.
Queta went head-to-head with Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who outshined him by scoring 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while also contributing seven rebounds and five assists. The win secured Turkey’s place in the knockout stage.
This loss followed a tough game on Friday against Serbia, where Queta faced reigning NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. Jokic dominated with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Queta struggled, managing just six points and two rebounds in 21 minutes.
Despite the back-to-back losses, Queta and Portugal remain in the mix for a knockout round berth. Portugal will face Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia on Monday, then finish Group A play against Estonia on Wednesday.
With four teams advancing from each group, Portugal is currently in a three-way tie for third place with Latvia and Estonia. Latvia holds a favorable schedule, but a win over Estonia could be enough to push Portugal into the round of 16 a historic achievement, especially after securing their first EuroBasket victory in 18 years just last week. Portugal’s next game against Latvia tips off at 11 a.m. ET on Monday.
