RIGA (Latvia) - It wasn't as smooth as they hoped, but Türkiye got the job done, defeating Sweden 85-79 as the Round of 16 tipped off in Arena Riga on Saturday.
They now have some time to regroup, analyze and come back even stronger before the Quarter-Finals on Tuesday.
Turning Point
Sweden opened up the game making nine of their first 10 field goal attempts, stunning Türkiye and staying in control for the entire half.
However, coach Ergin Ataman found the right lineup early in the second half. Türkiye went from a 44-37 deficit to a 51-44 advantage with a 14-0 run, opening an 11-point lead late in the third quarter.
Sweden did not back away. Instead, their eternal one-two punch of Ludvig Hakanson and Simon Birgander created a comeback to tie the game twice in the final period, setting the stage for a dramatic finish in the final three minutes.
Alperen Sengun decided that's where he draws the line. He went crazy in a quick 6-0 run, culminating with a block and a dunk to make it 82-76 as the final minute started.
TCL Player of the Game
Cedi Osman was extremely hot to start the game, fueling Türkiye's offense when it felt like nothing was going right early in the game.
Ercan Osmani also had his moments, on both ends of the floor. However, it was always going to be Alperen Sengun in this department, as the big guy took over to seal the deal in the fourth quarter.
The NBA All-Star finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists, becoming the first Turkish player with three double-doubles in a single FIBA EuroBasket event since Omer Asik had them in 2011.
Stats Don't Lie
Türkiye dominated the rebounding department and picked up 18 offensive rebounds, more than enough to create a 16-6 advantage in second chance points.
Bottom Line
This is the first time Türkiye have made it back to the Quarter-Finals since 2009, and also the first time they won six straight FIBA EuroBasket games since 1957, when they had seven in a row.
They get a chance to tie that mark in the Quarter-Finals, where they will play either Poland or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sweden played their hearts out, with five men in double figures and Simon Birgander picking up a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds, with 3 blocks and 2 steals on the side.
They Said
"Today was a great reminder. At the end of the day, every team that made it to this point is very talented, every team can come out and beat you. Maybe we were a little full of ourselves, maybe we were a little too confident going into this game, and this was a great reminder for us that it doesn't matter who you're playing against, every team can beat you." - Shane Larkin, Türkiye
"It's impressive to win the game even when we're not at our best." - Cedi Osman, Türkiye
"We came here with a great roster, all players had a great motivation. We sacrificed from the last week of July, we worked very hard and now we are ready to fight for the medal." - Türkiye head coach Ergin Ataman
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA