Miranda: "It was a team victory"

Rarely has a triumph by a team that did not clinch a EuroBasket place been as sweet as Portugal's win over Latvia last weekend.
The Portuguese went into the game looking to level their record to earn a place in the Additional Qualifying Round and were fully aware that a defeat might drop them into the Relegation Round.
After leading by double digits in the second half but falling behind late in the contest, Moncho Lopez's team secured a 93-92 win with Miguel Miranda's three-pointer six seconds from the end. Latvia then turned the ball over and their chances of a road victory disappeared.
When it was all said and done, Miranda had scored his team's first points with a three, and Portugal's last points with a shot from the arc.
The 29-year-old forward finished with five three-balls and walked off the court with 17 points.
Due to his and his teammates' efforts, Portugal stayed in the hunt for a return trip to the EuroBasket.
Does Miranda feel like a national hero after hitting the game-winning shot?
"No, I don‘t feel like a national hero," he said to Basketball World News. "It was just a victory of the team. I was fortunate to have the ball in my hands at that moment and made the three-pointer. Any other team-mate could have done it."
Portugal endured an 0-3 start to qualifying, and Miranda missed their opening 79-70 home defeat to Estonia due to injury.
But he returned to the fray and ultimately helped the Portuguese join an Additional Qualifying Round that also includes France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Belgium and Finland.
"Those first three defeats were a lesson for all of us," Miranda said. "The main reason for that failure was us, the players, more than anyone else.
"Not much has changed in our team. The only thing was that we, the players, had the obligation to do better, and we did.
"We had seven injured players during qualifying. I have never witnessed anything similar since I joined the national team."
Against Latvia, Miguel Miranda played all 40 minutes and finished five of nine from three-point range.
"It was a victory for our team," Miranda said. "It was nothing personal. We deserved to win more than anyone."
Now Miranda and his teammates can go into their club seasons feeling good about their summer. Next year, the battles will start all over again.
Only one of the teams in the Additional Qualifying Round will reach the EuroBasket in Poland.
"I keep considering that Portugal has the same chances as any other team to seal a place to the EuroBasket," Miranda said.