By KRISTIE RIEKEN
PARIS (AP) — Karlis Lasmanis scored eight points to lead defending champion Latvia to a 21-12 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday to improve to 2-0 in men’s 3×3 basketball pool play at the Paris Olympics.
Nauris Miezis added five points and six rebounds in the win after Latvia opened the tournament by beating Lithuania.
Worthy de Jong made a basket followed by a free throw to get the Netherlands within 1 point with about four minutes to go.
Latvia then scored the next nine points, with two 2-pointers by Lasmanis and one from Miezis to extend the lead to 19-9.
Arvin Slagter scored the first points for the Netherlands in more than two minutes on a 2-pointer after that and De Jong made a basket with less than a minute to go to cut the lead to 19-12.
But Lasmanis made a 2-pointer to end it on the next possession.
The Netherlands, which beat China in its opener, was led by De Jong’s seven points.
China 21, Serbia 15
Zhang Ning scored 11 points and added four rebounds to help China beat Serbia.
A basket by Mihailo Vasic put Serbia up 9-7 with about six minutes remaining.
China took over after that, going on a 10-1 run to take a 17-10 lead. China made three 2-pointers in that stretch to pull away.
Marko Brankovic and Dejan Majstorovic made consecutive 2-pointers for Serbia to cut the lead to 19-15 with about two minutes to go.
Zhao Jiaren closed it out by making two free throws with 2:05 remaining.
Majstorovic had seven points and Brankovic added five for Serbia, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winner.
Both teams are 1-1. Serbia beat the U.S. in its opener. China lost to the Netherlands.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
