Türkiye had waited nearly a quarter century for this stage. On Friday night in Riga, it left no doubt that it belonged.
With Ercan Osmani putting on the best performance of his international career and Alperen Şengün anchoring both ends of the floor, Türkiye stormed past Greece 94-68 in the EuroBasket 2025 semifinal to clinch its first championship appearance since winning silver as host in 2001. The victory improved Türkiye to 8-0 in the tournament, setting up a showdown with Germany in Sunday’s title game.
The last time Türkiye reached this point, Hedo Turkoglu was the face of the program and the country reveled in a silver medal on home soil. Now, a new generation has carved its place in history, one step away from the nation’s first European crown.
Defense Sets The Tone
The semifinal began with Greece trying to crowd Şengün, forcing the Houston Rockets star into a scoreless opening quarter. For a few minutes, the tactic worked — until Osmani changed the dynamic.
The 27-year-old forward knocked down four 3-pointers and poured in 14 first-quarter points, pushing Türkiye to a 26-16 lead. Greece managed to keep Şengün quiet, but it trailed by double digits anyway.
From there, Türkiye’s defense suffocated the Greeks. A 12-0 run midway through the second quarter blew the game open at 45-25, and by halftime the margin stood at 49-31. The key difference came in ball control. Greece turned the ball over 12 times in the opening 20 minutes, which Türkiye converted into 17 points. Türkiye committed just two turnovers before the break.
“It was one of the best defenses that I’ve ever seen in this competition,” Turkish head coach Ergin Ataman said. “It’s not enough for us. We’re ready to fight for the title.”
The defensive plan revolved around making Antetokounmpo uncomfortable at every turn. Osmani handled the brunt of the assignment, battling him one-on-one in the post, while Şengün lurked near the rim to cut off drives. On the perimeter, Şehmus Hazer and Cedi Osman denied passing lanes to keep the ball out of the two-time NBA MVP’s hands.
The strategy worked to near perfection. Antetokounmpo finished with 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and five assists but never able to dominate as he often does. Greece was forced into 22 turnovers overall, the highest number by any team in a EuroBasket semifinal in the past 30 years.
For Greece, the frustration boiled over.
“Congratulations to Türkiye, they played better. We had our worst game,” head coach Vassilis Spanoulis said. “Too many turnovers, our energy and game plan were different, we didn’t adjust well.”
*12 Dev Adam 🇹🇷 plays in the arena*
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 12, 2025
🎤 Alperen Sengun: #EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/hApq8rPNgr
Osmani’s Historic Night
On a night when Türkiye needed someone to seize control, Osmani rose to the occasion. His 28 points set a new national-team career high, surpassing his previous best of 17 in a qualifier last November. His six 3-pointers tied the rhythm of the game to Türkiye’s favor, and his defense on Antetokounmpo was just as important as his scoring.
“I am very happy that I contributed very well for this team,” Osmani said afterward.
Osmani’s performance drew praise from Şengün, who posted his own double-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
“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 said. “Tonight was not just about my stats. We all did our job defensively, especially on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) . Osmani was incredible. The whole team shared the ball and defended as one. Now, one more step to history.”
Şengün also enjoyed the atmosphere as Türkiye’s fans — part of a 10,500-strong crowd — sang along to “12 Dev Adam,” the team’s iconic anthem.
“That’s a legendary song, we still listen to it before the game, it’s part of our pre-game routine,” he said. “I was just so happy, so I was just singing.”
Türkiye’s supporting cast filled in the gaps. Cedi Osman added 17 points, while Shane Larkin contributed 14 points and five assists, steering the offense with composure.
Furkan Korkmaz, who chipped in defensively, said the team’s sights are firmly on gold.
“A medal is guaranteed, but of course it has to be gold now,” Korkmaz said. “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.”
Defense, dimes & dunks – you do NOT want to miss these #NikeTopPlays from the EuroBasket Semi-Finals! 🔥#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/1ccWCsW9fQ
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 13, 2025
A Clash Of Perfect Records
Sunday’s final will pit two unbeaten sides against each other. Türkiye enters 8-0, its most dominant run in EuroBasket history, while Germany arrives with the same record, fresh off a semifinal win over Finland.
The matchup guarantees a rare feat: a perfect champion. Since the tournament format changed a decade ago, only Slovenia in 2017 has managed to finish 9-0. Türkiye or Germany will join them as an undefeated titleholder.
The stakes extend beyond the numbers. For Türkiye, it is only the second chance at a continental crown after the near miss in 2001. The program also reached the FIBA Basketball World Cup final in 2010 but settled for silver. A gold medal would mark the nation’s first triumph in a major international competition.
Germany arrives with its own history. The reigning FIBA World Cup champion seeks its fourth EuroBasket medal after winning gold in 1993, silver in 2005 and bronze in 2022. Led by NBA stars and boasting depth across the roster, it promises to be Türkiye’s toughest test yet.
Ataman, who promised back in August that his team would be back in the final, has now delivered on that vow.
“It’s not enough for us,” he said. “We’re ready to fight for the title.”
Türkiye will face Germany in the finals Sunday with tip-off set for 2 p.m. ET.
