ISTANBUL (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - After catching Helsinki and Tel Aviv by storm on Thursday, FIBA EuroBasket 2017 fever will reach two more cities on Friday with 12 more teams getting the ball rolling in Cluj-Napoca and Istanbul.

The matchup between a wounded Serbia and an on-the-rise Latvia will take center stage at the Fenerbahce Arena in the Turkish metropolis, with local hero Bogdan Bogdanovic entering the tournament with extra weight on his shoulders.

Injuries have hit the Aleksandar Djordjevic-coached Serbia particularly hard, with Nikola Kalinic and Nemanja Nedovic being ruled out just a couple of days before the tournament, adding to a long list of absentees, headlined by Milos Teodosic and Nikola Jokic.

Serbia last crossed paths with Latvia four years ago at the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, but the much-changed Baltic side are entering the tournament with medal ambitions after adding two NBA players in New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis and San Antonio Spurs forward Davis Bertans.

Both teams also played at the FIBA Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 2016 in Belgrade, but Latvia were knocked out by Puerto Rico and were denied an opportunity to face eventual winners Serbia.

The other Group D game, featuring tournament hosts Turkey and Russia, promises to be an exciting showdown as well, as coach Ufuk Sarica's side will be hoping to inscribe the country's first win over Russian opposition in the Final Round of a FIBA EuroBasket.

Always an incredibly tough team to play against in front of a wild home crowd, Turkey will need all the help they can get from their supporters with Ersan Ilyasova, Omer Asik, Enes Kanter and Bobby Dixon missing from the roster.

They have already beaten Russia on their home floor, claiming a 65-56 victory at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010, which could provide a blueprint for Friday's challenge.

Building up to the two big-name bouts of the day in Istanbul, coach Eddy Casteels and his well-drilled Belgium side will be looking for a solid start against Great Britain in a game between teams also hoping to sneak onto the train heading towards the Final Phase.

Meanwhile, defending champions and Group C favorites Spain will get their campaign off the ground against Montenegro in Cluj-Napoca; Group Phase hosts Romania will be tested by the Tomas Satoransky-led Czech Republic, while Croatia will take on Hungary.

You can follow live updates throughout each game day and follow #EuroBasket2017 across all social media.

FIBA