The stakes couldn’t be higher for Estonia as they face Portugal in a crucial Eurobasket Group A showdown on Wednesday. Small forward Henri Drell, who spent time with the Chicago Bulls in the 2023/24 NBA season, voiced a unique concern this week. He believes the home crowd, usually an asset, could actually hinder his team in this make-or-break game.
“Playing with the crowd behind us is normally a plus,” Drell explained. “But it can also be a problem. Everyone expects us to win. All the fans want us to play our absolute best game.” That weight of expectation could easily become a heavy burden.
Estonia’s path in the tournament has been a bit bumpy so far. They kicked things off with losses to Serbia (64-98) and then co-host Latvia (70-72). A strong win against the Czech Republic (89-75) gave them hope, similar to Portugal’s result against the Czechs. However, they faced another defeat on Monday, falling to Turkey (64-84).
Drell, who scored eight points in that last game against the Turks, knows this Wednesday’s match is everything or nothing. “The tension is high, the stress is high,” he admitted. “But I really hope we can keep a cool head.” He stressed the simple truth of their situation: “This is a game we absolutely must win.”
The Opponent: Portugal and Queta
The Estonian international forward isn’t expecting an easy ride against Portugal. He’s especially worried about the impact of Portuguese center Neemias Queta. Drell highlighted Queta’s skill, noting the 25-year-old big man played for Tenerife in Spain’s ACB League last season.
“Portugal has a really good center,” Drell stated. “I’ve played against him in both the NBA and the G-League. He’s a very talented player, and we have to keep him in check.” Drell also mentioned that he likes Portugal’s overall style of play. He described them as a team that “plays fast and with a lot of aggression.” Because of this, the former Bulls player says Estonia needs to “study the tactics well for this game.”
This decisive match between Portugal and Estonia, the fifth and final day of Group A in Eurobasket2025, is set for Wednesday. Kick-off is at 2:45 PM local time (12:45 PM in Lisbon) at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga.