By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – With the lead over 20 points most of the way, Turkiye crushed Greece, 94-68, in the Semifinals of EuroBasket 2025.
Trailing only Luka Doncic on the list of players with the highest efficiency rating in the tournament before Friday’s game, Alperen Sengun and Giannis Antetokounmpo were both effectively targeted by the opponent’s defense. However, the 23-year-old center of the Houston Rockets in the NBA overcame early shooting struggles with creativity to boost teammate contributions, combining a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double with six assists alongside two steals and one block. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar ended up with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double plus five assists and two blocks.
Smashing his career-high with Turkiye, Ercan Osmani tallied a game-high 28 points behind 5/7 two-pointers and 6/8 three-pointers, including 14 points in the first quarter to pave the way for a comfortable lead. After being cleared from an ankle injury, Cedi Osman chipped in 17 points. Shane Larkin added 14 more points. On the losing end, Kostas Sloukas netted 12 of a team-high 15 points after the break but was shy of building a significant threat from Greece.
Remaining undefeated across eight games in Riga’s Xiaomi Arena and snapping a five-game losing streak versus Greece in EuroBasket, Ergin Ataman’s side progressed to the gold-medal game for the first time since 2001. Germany, the winner of the first Semifinal, is the opponent in Sunday’s Final.
Reduced to the bronze-medal fixture, the team coached by Vassilis Spanoulis will take on Finland.
Photo Credit: FIBA
