Türkiye eyes win over Greece for spot in final

RIGA

The Turkish national basketball team takes on Greece in Riga on Sept. 12, hoping to make it to the EuroBasket final for the second time in history.

Ergin Ataman’s men are eager for another medal and a shot at gold.

"We can go all the way," guard Kenan Sipahi said after reaching the final four phase.

Furkan Korkmaz said that “the time has arrived” for the squad.

"We were calling this golden generation, saying, 'It's coming, it's coming, we have time.' But now, it's our time. Every day that we step on the court, we are showing it. We are not just winning the games, we're also enjoying the way that we play basketball."

Türkiye is led by Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün, who became only the fifth player — and the youngest — to post a triple-double in EuroBasket match when he scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists against Poland in the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old played down records and personal achievements, saying he was ready to play any part in team success.

"[Coach Ergin Ataman] is using me really well, he puts me everywhere, and that's who I am,” he said.

“I'm a team player. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win. If it's defense, it's defense. If it's offense, it's offense, I don't care. Whatever he tells me, I'll do it."

Ataman, who also coaches Panathinaikos, is no stranger to Greek players and said his side will be ready for Giannis Antetokounmpo and his company.

“Greece has very experienced players, not only Giannis: [Kostas] Sloukas, [Kostas] Papanikolaou, [Tyler] Dorsey, they are very good,” he said of the opponent.

“They have a lot of experience, and for sure it will be a very tough game, maybe, after our Serbia game, one of the best games in this tournament,” he added.

The coach gave no hint of any special plans to stop the Milwaukee Bucks star, who leads Greece in points per game with 29.8 points and rebounds with 9.

“Giannis can score for sure, we will not focus on how to stop Giannis, but how to play our regular defense," he said.

Ataman, a master of mind games, also highlighted another issue before the semifinal match.

“[Greece coach] Vassilis Spanoulis said during the group stage that Giannis gets very few free throws compared to [Luka] Doncic, Şengün and [Nikola] Jokic, and I saw yesterday against Lithuania that he shot 16 free throws,” he said.

“It’s a smart move, but I also have my mental approach. NBA basketball and European basketball are different. You can call fouls on Giannis when people foul him, but I also think that when he penetrates, offensive fouls should be called, too. In the previous game, I saw many, many offensive fouls,” he added.

Experience is key in later stages of tournaments, and guard Shane Larkin shares his with younger teammates.

"These opportunities don't come by every single year,” he said of Türkiye’s medal chances, urging the squad to seize the moment.

“More than anything, just appreciate the moment. Just be present, don't let the moment be too big for what it is," he added.

In Sept. 12’s other semifinal, unbeaten Germany takes on surprise package Finland for a spot in the gold medal game.