Spain lost 95-89 to Portugal in a FIBA World Cup qualifying match on Friday in Zaragoza as highly rated prospects Aday Mara and Baba Miller made their senior international debuts. The victory marked the first time Portugal has ever defeated Spain in an official basketball match.
Despite the setback in their opening fixture of the second phase of European qualifying windows, head coach Chus Mateo saw his Spain team remain top of Group I with a five win and two loss record. The loss was the second overall for Spain, known nationally as La Familia, on their road to the 2027 tournament in Qatar.
The Iberian derby at the Pabellon Principe Felipe saw Zaragonian center Mara enter the court four minutes into the first quarter to a loud ovation from his hometown crowd. Mara, a recent draft acquisition by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA, substituted for starter Willy Hernangomez after Hernangomez took a hard hit to the eyelid from Portuguese center Neemias Queta.
Hernangomez required treatment on the sideline before returning to action, finishing the game with seven points. Mara displayed early imprecision on offense during his first minutes in senior international basketball, but quickly asserted his physical presence in defense with multiple intimidations inside the paint.
First half physical battle and Spanish comeback
Spain started the match with high energy, setting up aggressive defensive lines to force turnovers and spark fastbreak points. Forward Joel Parra highlighted the opening minutes by finishing a transition attack with a reverse layup. However, Spain struggled to find their rhythm from distance, missing eight of their first nine three-point attempts.
Portugal imposed a physical defensive style that was not penalized by the refereeing crew of Gatis Salins of Latvia, Juozas Barkauskas of Lithuania, and Mehmet Sahin of Turkey. The visiting team capitalized on Spanish turnovers and defensive disconnects, building a 19-12 lead that prompted Spanish head coach Mateo to call a timeout.
Spain mounted a strong response in the second quarter, engineering a 15-3 scoring run to turn the scoreboard around. Guard Dario Brizuela hit two three-pointers while Mario Saint-Supery added another from long range. The quarter also marked the senior debut of power forward Miller, who joined the rotation for La Familia.
Despite Spain's second-quarter rally, Portugal responded in the final minutes before the interval. Demonstrating high shooting efficiency, the visitors outscored Spain to head into the halftime break with a 47-41 advantage.
Highlight dunks and fourth quarter surge
The third quarter featured explosive play at both ends of the floor. Point guard Alvaro Cardenas, who carried Spain's offense throughout the match, set up Mara for a spectacular dunk that electrified the Zaragoza crowd. On the subsequent possession, Boston Celtics center Queta responded for Portugal, pulling off a reverse move before slamming down a one-handed dunk.
Spain edged the third quarter 30-24, leveling the match heading into the final ten minutes. However, Portugal pulled away at the start of the fourth quarter with a 0-7 run, taking advantage of renewed Spanish errors on offense and defensive missteps.
Spain attempted to mount a late comeback but remained erratic in attack. Portuguese guard Diogo Ventura landed a decisive blow by sinking a three-pointer with 3:24 remaining on the clock, leaving Spain unable to close the gap before the final buzzer.
Box score stats and upcoming Greece trip
Travante Williams sparked Portugal's offense with a game-high 22 points, while Queta registered 16 points and a team-best 22 efficiency valuation rating. Ventura scored 19 points off the bench, complemented by Ruben Prey with 15 points, Rafael Lisboa with 11 points, Diogo Brito with 5 points, Andre Cruz with 3 points, and Daniel Monteiro and Candido Sa Queiroz with 2 points each. Francisco Amarante, Ricardo Relvao, and Vladyslav Da Silva also featured for Portugal.
Brizuela led Spain's scoring with 19 points off the bench, while Cardenas recorded 18 points as the starting point guard. Parra contributed 17 points, Mara scored 12 points in his debut, and Saint-Supery and Santi Yusta added 5 points each. Starter Hugo Gonzalez and bench player Juancho Hernangomez contributed 3 points apiece, while Miller, Sergio De Larrea, and Jaime Pradilla finished without scoring.
Portugal, currently ranked 45th in the FIBA world rankings, celebrated a milestone victory against a Spanish national team that won the FIBA World Cup in 2006 and 2019. Spain continues its qualifying campaign for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, which is set to begin on August 27, 2027.
Following the defeat in Zaragoza, Spain travels to Athens to face Greece on Monday at 18:00 CET. Greece will be competing without Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
