By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia -Portugal was waiting almost 20 years for that, a spot in the Top 16 Eurobasket teams.
It happened last time in 2007, when the tournament format was different, and the spots in the quarterfinals were decided in a group format.
Now, it’s a knock-out game, coming in a few hours against the World Champion Germany. Portugal is the outsider, but it has its shot, and in the middle of it, there’s big man Neemias Queta.
The Portuguese center already had his moment in the tournament with a monster performance against the Czech Republic, but he wants more, as he said to Eurohoops in an interview in FIBA studios.
Queta talked about the big win over Estonia that sealed qualification to the Round of 16, the team meeting before the game, his mindset coming to play for the national team in the biggest European stage, and his purpose: “It was a good opportunity for me to evolve my game and get ready for the next season”.
On the way, he helped Portugal make history in his first major FIBA tournament, something that he never expected growing up.
“Life comes at you in mysterious ways”, he admitted, but now things are different: “I want more, I always want to evolve”.
Now, the next goal is an upset against Germany. “They are the World Champions for a reason”, said Queta and added: “We have to be physical, not giving them easy scoring in transition. They are well coached, they will figure it out, but we have to also play our game”.
And the Celtics and coach Mazzulla will be watching, as Queta explained: “I spoke with him a couple of times, he is always sending me messages of appreciation, or love, or me getting better. What he sees in me, what I need to improve on, and that’s a great relationship that we have”.
All this can be moved to Boston in a few weeks. Queta, who underwent surgery following the Celtics‘ elimination, to address knee soreness that’s ailed him for several years, is proving in the Eurobasket that he is better than I ever: “I got rested enough this offseason and I think that I put myself in the best position to have a breakout season. I have the tools to compete with the best”.