Eurobasket 2022: Türkiye vs Greece – Semifinal Preview

The eternal rivals Greece and Türkiye will see the faces in the Eurobasket semifinals. The Turks have won Poland with solvency (91-77) thanks to a triple double of their star, Alperen Sengun, the Houston Rockets player, while Greece has also comfortably defeated (87-76) to the Lithuania of Jonas Valanciunas, which has not enough for his great game (24 points 15 rebounds) to pass from round.

Greece, who has won by 11 points, began the unrecognizable game, with a partial 7-0 against, until Antetokounmpo said enough. The NBA champion, unstoppable by entering the basket, put 11 points in the first quarter, and the Hellenes went to the second with five points ahead. The second quarter was very matched (Greece won by a point) and the Greeks went to rest winning six.

After the break, Greece squeezed the accelerator and did not give Lithuania a chance, which put 12 points behind the third quarter. In the last one, after five points in a row from Antetokounmpo, the Hellenes put 15 points of advantage and the game seemed finished, but a partial of 7-0 from the Lithuanians in the absence of a minute once again put it interesting. Greece did not fail his free throws and sentenced the game.

Türkiye, the next opponent of the Hellenos in the Eurobasket semifinals, was intractable in his victory against Poland (91-77). The Poles endured firm the first quarter, which ended in a draw at 19 points, and also with the same rebounds, assists and losses. The game could not be more matched, but Turkey improved in the offensive rebound (6-1 for them), gave four more assists, only lost a possession against eight of the Poles and recovered five balls, while their opponents none. All this allowed Turkey to leave for rest with an advantage of 14 points that Poland could no longer recover.

In that context, the star of the game began to carbure, Alperen Sengun, who went to rest with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, that is, with the triple double in the oven. At the end of the break, the pivot continued to add assists, rebounds and points, and that, adding the triples of Furkan Korkmaz, raised the advantage of whites to the 23 points. It seemed that the game was determined, but before the third quarter ended, Poland got a partial 7-0 that returned hope.

Sengun achieved triple double at two and a half minutes from the last quarter, and Türkiye put 17 points ahead. Poland seemed dead again, but it chopped stone again and put eight points below, scary of the Turks. Two triples in a row, one from Sehmus Hazer and another from Ercan Osmani, turned off the hopes of the Polish comeback, not having these time to react. Türkiye is among the four best of the tournament for the first time since 2001, when he was second at the Eurobasket that was held in his land.