Turkey to Face Germany in EuroBasket Final After 24 Years

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Turkey is set to reach the EuroBasket final for the first time in 24 years, taking on World Cup champion Germany for the gold medal. The title game will occur on Sunday at Arena Riga.

Turkey secured its place in the final with a convincing 94-68 victory over Greece in the second semifinal on Friday. Earlier, Germany defeated Finland 98-86 to book its spot. Greece and Finland will compete for the bronze medal on Sunday.

This will mark only the second time Turkey has medaled at EuroBasket, having won silver in 2001 when it hosted the tournament. Germany will seek its fourth medal, having previously won gold in 1993, silver in 2005, and bronze in 2022.

The two teams faced each other earlier this summer at the DBB Supercup, with Germany winning a close game 73-71 on August 15. However, both teams enter Sunday’s matchup with unblemished 8-0 records in the tournament. The winner will become just the second undefeated EuroBasket champion in the last nine tournaments, joining Slovenia, which achieved this feat in 2017.

Ercan Osmani led Turkey with 28 points against Greece, while Cedi Osman contributed 17 points. Alperen Sengun had a strong performance too, ending with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Shane Larkin also added 14 points for Turkey.

Turkey’s dominance against Greece was highlighted by a 12-0 run early in the second quarter, extending their lead to 45-24. They led 49-31 at halftime, significantly benefitting from Greece’s 12 turnovers, which resulted in 17 points for Turkey.

Kostas Sloukas topped the scoring for Greece with 15 points, while NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo was limited to 12 points and 12 rebounds.

In the other semifinal, Germany’s Dennis Schröder shone brightly with 26 points and 12 assists to help his team beat Finland, while Franz Wagner added 22 points, which included crucial three-pointers that helped Germany establish their lead.

Olivier Nkamhoua led Finland with 22 points in their loss, while Lauri Markkanen recorded 16 points but struggled with his shooting.

The stage is set for an exciting final showdown, where Turkey aims for its first EuroBasket title while Germany looks to add another championship to its storied history.