Sengun flirts with triple-double as Türkiye improve to 2-0

RIGA (Latvia) – It’s Alperen Sengun’s world, we’re just living in it. The Turkish center powered his nation to a second consecutive 2-0 start to FIBA EuroBasket, picking up a 92-78 win over Czechia.

Türkiye were also 2-0 at this point in 2022, before losing to Georgia in a double overtime game. They have not enjoyed a 3-0 start to EuroBasket since the event took place in Poland in 2009.

Turning Point

Czechia were off to a flying start in this one, knocking down five of their first seven attempts from beyond the arc and scoring 27 points in the first quarter alone. This is the part where we remind you they had a total of 50 points in the whole game vs Portugal on Day 1.

You could see that Türkiye were a bit stunned by that start, but also, that they would not panic, and would instead respond with a big run of their own.

They went on a second-quarter 14-0 burst with six different players scoring, showcasing their depth to take the lead and keep Czechia in the rear view mirror the rest of the way.

TCL Player of the Game

Türkiye have had two balanced efforts in their two wins, but it’s clear as day Alperen Sengun is a different beast.

The 23-year-old had 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting, with 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, a steal and an efficiency rating of 40, a game-high by some distance, hearing the MVP chants from the Turkish fans in Latvia.

Cedi Osman and Ercan Osmani deserve mentions, too. Osmani was strong to start the game, Osman had another gigantic third quarter, more than enough to get Türkiye a 2-0 start.

Stats Don’t Lie

Without Jan Vesely and Ondrej Balvin, it’s hard to protect the pain the way they used to do it in Czechia. Türkiye took full advantage of their size, driving inside and getting easy shots, winning the paint points 50-26.

Bottom Line

Türkiye took care of business, and it must be a nice feeling for coach Ergin Ataman to know his team is capable of double digit wins even with Shane Larkin scoring just 5 points.

Czechia meanwhile looked way better than in the first game, Martin Peterka delivering with five triples and 23 points off the bench. Czechia are down to 0-2 with games against Estonia, Serbia and Latvia up next.

They Said

For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!

FIBA