As was the case in other Round of 16 clashes, the opening contest on Sunday in Riga was a tight game. Although Poland were favourites, Bosnia came out more determined to continue their EuroBasket 2025 dream.
The Balkans got off to a flying start, led by their two mainstays, John Roberson and Jusuf Nurkic, and led 23-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Polish comeback
Poland, playing their first game of the tournament away from Katowice, responded in the next two quarters through Jordan Loyd and Mateusz Ponitka to turn the score around, coming from nine points down and taking a one-point lead.
Everything was decided in the last quarter, where the Polish team led the way. However, the game remained wide open. With two minutes left, Poland led by six and Bosnia attacked, but a steal by Ponitka and a basket by Loyd put the game away.
The outstanding player for Poland was the aforementioned Loyd with 28 points. The former Valencia player is the real leader of this team. Meanwhile, Ponitka scored 19 points. For Bosnia, Nurkic had 20 points and seven rebounds, and Roberson scored 19 points.