Türkiye eyes semifinal spot at EuroBasket
ISTANBUL
Türkiye will play Poland on Sept. 9 in the quarterfinal of the EuroBasket 2025 as it continues its quest for a medal at the tournament.
After winning all its five group games, Ergin Ataman’s men had a reality check against Sweden in the last 16 match on Sept. 6 in an 85-79 win over Sweden.
Sweden opened up the game making nine of its first 10 field goal attempts, stunning Türkiye and staying in control for the entire half.
Türkiye needed another huge performance from NBA All-Star Alperen Şengün, who finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists, putting his mark on match in the final minutes.
Türkiye dominated the rebounding department and picked up 18 offensive rebounds, more than enough to create a 16-6 advantage in second chance points.
Guard Shane Larkin said the match was a wake-up call for the team.
"Today was a great reminder that at the end of the day, every team that made it to this point is very talented, every team can come out and beat you,” he said.
“Maybe we were a little full of ourselves, maybe we were a little too confident going into this game, and this was a great reminder for us that it doesn't matter who you're playing against, every team can beat you."
This is the first time Türkiye has made it back to the quarterfinals since 2009, and also the first time it won six straight EuroBasket games since 1957, when it had seven in a row.
Poland, on the other hand, booked a return trip to the quarterfinals of the EuroBasket with an 80-72 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sept. 7.
The 2022 semifinalist Poland bounced back from two straight losses to finish the group phase.
"I am extremely happy for these guys and this staff, it means a lot,” Poland guard Jordan Loyd said after the win.
“But we're not satisfied. We want to keep pushing and keep going and ride the wave. I believe this team can accomplish a lot."
Türkiye coach Ataman is determined to dash Poland’s hopes.
"We came here with a great roster, all players had a great motivation,” he said.
“We sacrificed from the last week of July, we worked very hard and now we are ready to fight for the medal."
Upsets featured across the last 16 stage in Riga as Finland stole the headlines with a stunning 92-86 victory over title favorite Serbia on Sept. 6, before Georgia followed suit to eliminate France with a 80-70 win less than 24 hours earlier.
Luka Doncic scored 42 points to lead Slovenia past Italy 84-77, with Giannis Antetokounmpo pouring in 37 points for Greece against Israel in an 84-79 win.
Lithuania will play Greece in the other quarterfinal on Sept. 9, before Finland takes on Georgia and Germany meets Slovenia in Sept. 10's games.
