EuroBasket 2025: Atlanta Hawks Kristaps Porzingis Puts Together A Solid Performance Against Nikola Jokic and Serbia

Recapping Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia's performance against Serbia and Nikola Jokic.

Apr 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

In today's matchup, it was an entertaining one to say the least, as Kristaps Porzingis and Nikola Jokic matched up in what was a battle amongst bigs. This was a physical back-and-forth contest between the two giants, with Jokic getting the victory and putting up his typical video game-type numbers in the process. This game now puts Latvia in second place in EuroBasket play, behind Serbia, which remains undefeated with a 3-0 start, thanks to solid team play led by Jokic.

Porzingis Shines

May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) shoots a free throw against the New York Knicks in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

For much of the game, Porzingis and Jokic both guarded each other inside the paint, with both having moments of success against each other. One of the standout moments of the matchup between the two giants was when Porzingis forced Jokic to hit the ball off the side of the backboard and cut to the basket for an easy dunk.

Kristaps Porzingis forces Jokic into a miss then cuts for a dunk. pic.twitter.com/gJAr1OUAbP

— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) August 30, 2025

When it comes to Latvia's team performance, it was inconsistent, as they shot poorly in the first half before making a late resurgence, cutting Serbia's lead down to two points. In the first half, Latvia shot 36% from the floor, 27% inside the paint, and 44% from three-point range as they found themselves down by four heading into halftime. Latvia would then come out in the second half, playing even sloppier in certain moments, which led to them losing a game that could have easily gone their way.

In the second half, Latvia allowed 42 points in the paint,12 points off turnovers,14 fastbreak points, and 13 second-chance points. This shows signs of a team that, while they played better offensively in the second half, defensively, they clearly showed signs of being unable to stop Serbia and Jokic at the point of attack, allowing them to get to the basket. Porzingis, however, did finish the game with a solid stat line, scoring 14 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out two assists, one steal, and three blocks.

Final: Serbia 84, Latvia 80

Latvia's big comeback effort fell short.

Porzingis: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks pic.twitter.com/M2wNPQjeVy

— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) August 30, 2025

As far as areas to work on for Latvia heading into the next matchup, they need to focus on playing more efficiently in the paint, as Serbia did a good job of making things uneasy for them, particularly in terms of scoring. Scoring inside the paint, given their size, should be more efficient than what they showed today, as they shot 36% from inside the paint today, and for the tournament, they have shot 47% from inside the paint. Lastly, the defensive consistency for these guys has been a problem for them to maintain from start to finish. In their last game, they had to figure out a second-half comeback to close the deal and avoid starting 0-3 in tournament play.

For Porzingis, he should look to build consistency offensively as well, as he has been struggling with shooting the ball from outside, shooting 0% on 13 three-pointers attempted in three games. Porzingis is one of the best shooters from outside, so I would expect him to bounce back.

Latvia and Porzingis will play again on Monday, September 1, 2025, at 11:00 AM against Portugal.