Back in 2017, Slovenia became the first and only team to win the FIBA EuroBasket with a perfect 9-0 record under the current competition format, which was introduced a decade ago. That exclusive club is about to get a new member. On Sunday, Germany and Türkiye will battle for the championship, both entering the Final undefeated at 8-0.
Türkiye secured their ticket to the gold medal game with a dominant 94-68 victory over Greece in the semifinal, a result that silenced any doubts and electrified the Turkish fans in Riga. It will be only the second EuroBasket Final in their history, the first since 2001, when they took silver on home soil.
Turning Point
From the opening minutes, Greece found themselves caught between promise and disappointment. The good news? They managed to keep Alperen Şengün scoreless through the first quarter. The bad news? Even without their star center producing, Türkiye still stormed ahead 26-16 thanks to Ercan Osmani’s stunning start. The power forward drilled four three-pointers in the first period alone, scoring 14 points and setting the tone.
When Şengün found his rhythm in the second quarter – dunking, facilitating, and drawing defensive attention – Türkiye’s lead ballooned to 45-25. By halftime, Greece was already staring at a 61-39 deficit.
The second half brought no relief. Türkiye’s defense remained airtight, and the lead stretched to 26 points late in the third quarter. With the Turkish supporters among the 10,500 fans in the arena in full voice, it was clear who would be celebrating by the final buzzer.
TCL Player of the Game
“What was that, Ercan Osmani!?”
The 27-year-old delivered the game of his life in a national team jersey. Assigned the tough task of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, he not only slowed down the Greek superstar but also erupted offensively, scoring a career-high 28 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. He thrived as the perfect partner to Şengün, who fed him repeatedly with precise passes.
Before this night, Osmani had never scored more than 17 points for the national team, a mark he set in 2024 during a EuroBasket qualifier against Hungary. At the club level, his personal best remains 35 points and 17 rebounds for Bandırma in a 2020 Turkish league game – but his performance against Greece will be remembered far more vividly.
Stats Don’t Lie
Turnovers doomed Greece’s chances. Their 22 giveaways marked the highest total by any team in a EuroBasket semifinal in the last 30 years. Türkiye capitalized on nearly every mistake, turning defense into offense and keeping control throughout.
Bottom Line
Just as coach Ergin Ataman boldly predicted back in August in Riga, Türkiye is back in the EuroBasket Final. With Hedo Türkoğlu watching courtside, the ambition is clear: silver is not enough this time, the team is chasing gold.
The collective defensive effort against Antetokounmpo was extraordinary. Osmani stood his ground one-on-one, while Şengün provided support on drives and at the rim. Meanwhile, perimeter defenders like Şehmus Hazer and Cedi Osman disrupted Greece’s passing lanes, forcing 12 turnovers in the first half alone.
When Giannis did receive the ball in the post, Türkiye switched to a zone defense, collapsing on him and daring Greece’s other players to beat them from outside. The strategy worked perfectly. Antetokounmpo finished with just 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting, though he added 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
Türkiye now sits one win away from their first-ever major international title. Their previous best results were silver at EuroBasket 2001 and silver again at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Greece, meanwhile, will regroup to face Finland in the Third-Place Game, still with a medal on the line.
They Said
“A medal is guaranteed, but of course it has to be gold now. We’re gonna play against Germany, we’re gonna go to the hotel now, we’re gonna get some rest, then we’ll start to prepare for the Final instead of celebrating.” – Furkan Korkmaz, Türkiye
“It was one of the best defenses that I’ve ever seen in this competition.” – Türkiye head coach Ergin Ataman praising his team’s defensive performance
“It’s not enough for us. We’re ready to fight for the title.” – Ataman, again, on Türkiye’s ambition
“That’s a legendary song, we still listen to it before the game, it’s part of our pre-game routine. I was just so happy, so I was just singing.” – Alperen Şengün, on the moment the iconic “12 Dev Adam” anthem was played mid-game
“We put our heart on the court tonight. We fight, it was a war for us. Ercan played really well, offensively, defensively, he was amazing. We just watched him today.” – Şengün praising Osmani
