Sengun leads Turkey to spectacular victory against Serbia at EuroBasket

The Riga Arena was the stage for a memorable clash between two European basketball giants. In a thrilling game with 8 ties and 15 lead changes, Turkey finally prevailed over Serbia (95-90) to conclude the group phase in style.

NOT BABY JOKIC. CALL HIM DADDY ŞENGÜN.#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/X0lhR9dU4m

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 3, 2025

A titans’ duel between Sengun and Jokic

The highly anticipated face-off between Alperen Sengun and Nikola Jokic lived up to expectations. The Houston Rockets’ center dominated with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, earning « MVP » chants from Turkish fans among the 6,113 spectators. The three-time NBA MVP responded with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Sengun proved decisive in crucial moments, especially on defense where he stole the ball from Marko Guduric in the final seconds, allowing Shane Larkin to seal the victory from the free-throw line with 15.5 seconds remaining.

Exceptional 3-point shooting for Turkey

Ergin Ataman’s team made the difference with remarkable long-range shooting, converting 18 of their 31 three-point attempts. Shane Larkin provided valuable support with 23 points and 9 assists in 39 minutes of play, while Cedi Osman added 16 points and Ercan Osmani 10 points.

Serbia, without injured Aleksa Avramović who left in the first half and absent Tristan Vukčević, relied on Marko Guduric (12 points), Filip Petrušev (11 points), and both Nikola Jović and Stefan Jović (10 points each) to support Jokic.

This victory allows Turkey to finish undefeated (5-0) and secure first place in Group A. They will face Sweden in the round of 16, while Serbia (4-1) will play against Finland in the same elimination phase on Saturday. Serbia finds itself in Germany’s bracket. The two tournament favorites, finalists of the last World Cup, could meet in the semifinals.