Alperen Sengun as soon as once more reminded everybody why he’s the centerpiece of Turkish basketball. The 23-year-old dominated from begin to end, guiding Türkiye to a 92-78 win over Czechia and securing a second straight 2-0 begin to FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
Türkiye’s sturdy begin mirrors their marketing campaign in 2022, when in addition they opened 2-0 earlier than falling to Georgia in a double-overtime thriller.
An ideal 3-0 begin has been elusive since EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, and Sengun’s brilliance provides the group an actual likelihood to succeed in that milestone.
Turning Level
Czechia exploded out of the gates, sinking 5 of their first seven three-point makes an attempt and scoring 27 factors within the opening quarter alone. Contemplating they’d solely 50 factors in complete in opposition to Portugal on Day 1, it was a lightning-fast begin that would have rattled any opponent.
Türkiye appeared briefly surprised, however there was no panic. They responded with a 14-0 run within the second quarter, with six totally different gamers scoring, highlighting their depth and taking management of the sport. From that second, Czechia by no means regained the lead.
TCL Participant of the Recreation
Whereas Türkiye has relied on balanced scoring in each wins, Sengun stands head and shoulders above the remainder. He completed with 23 factors on 8-of-9 capturing, including 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal for a game-high effectivity score of 40.
Turkish followers in Latvia erupted with MVP chants, celebrating their star’s commanding efficiency.
Cedi Osman and Ercan Osmani additionally made notable contributions. Osmani began aggressively, and Osman delivered one other big third quarter, guaranteeing Türkiye maintained management and marched to a 2-0 begin.
Stats Don’t Lie
With out Jan Vesely and Ondrej Balvin, Czechia struggled to guard the paint. Türkiye exploited this absolutely, driving inside repeatedly and successful the paint factors 50-26. Their measurement and effectivity close to the basket proved decisive.
Backside Line
Türkiye dealt with the sport with authority, even with Shane Larkin contributing simply 5 factors. Coach Ergin Ataman might be assured that his group can win convincingly in a wide range of methods.
Czechia, however, improved from their first recreation. Martin Peterka got here off the bench to attain 23 factors, together with 5 triples, but it surely wasn’t sufficient to forestall the 0-2 begin.
Their subsequent challenges in opposition to Estonia, Serbia, and Latvia might be vital of their pursuit of a primary win.
Sengun flirts with triple-double as Türkiye enhance to 2-0.https://t.co/hmyJE6aQ92
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 29, 2025
