Greece vs Turkey: Turkey Cruises to EuroBasket Final in Dominant 94-68 Win — Full Recap & What’s Next

Greece vs Turkey: Turkey thumps Greece 94-68 in the EuroBasket 2025 semifinal behind Ercan Osmani and Alperen Şengün. Read full Greece vs Turkey stats, player performances, key moments, and implications. (Greece vs Turkey, EuroBasket, Greece Basketball)

Background Context

EuroBasket 2025 is nearing its climax at Riga, Latvia, with four basketball powerhouses left standing. Among the most anticipated matchups was the semifinal between Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Turkey, featuring rising stars like Alperen Şengün and powerful contributors such as Ercan Osmani.

Greece entered the knockout rounds with a rich basketball heritage, having won multiple EuroBasket tournaments historically. Meanwhile, Turkey — while always competitive — has not made it to the final of EuroBasket since 2001, the same year they last claimed silver. The semifinal clash therefore carried heavy emotional weight, historic rivalry, and high stakes: a ticket to the final and a shot at gold.

Greece vs Turkey: The Semifinal Recap

Final Score & Overview

• Turkey 94 – Greece 68 in the EuroBasket 2025 semifinal.
• Turkey dominated from early on, never relinquishing momentum, building a lead in the first half and extending it throughout. Greece struggled to find offensive rhythm and mitigate Turkey’s defensive intensity.

Key Players & Performances

Player	Team	Notable Stats & Impact
Ercan Osmani	Turkey	28 points on 11 of 15 shooting, including 6–8 from three, plus 6 rebounds. Led Turkey’s offense and was especially dangerous from outside early.
Alperen Şengün	Turkey	15 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists. Active inside, made a difference in pick-and-rolls and on the boards.
Cedi Osman	Turkey	Solid scoring and veteran poise, adding 17 points. Helped maintain pressure and spacing.
Shane Larkin	Turkey	14 points, 5 assists. Contributed off the bench, helped control tempo, and was effective in spots.
Giannis Antetokounmpo	Greece	Held to just 12 points (and 8 rebounds) in about 30 minutes. Not his usual dominant impact due to Turkey’s defensive schemes.
Kostas Sloukas	Greece	Led Greece in scoring with 15 points, one of only two Greeks in double figures (Antetokounmpo, Sloukas).

Game Flow: Critical Moments

• Fast start from Turkey: Turkey opened the game aggressively, with a 12-0 run in the second quarter that gave them breathing room. Greece committed many turnovers early which Turkey converted into points.
• Halftime cushion: At halftime the score was roughly 49-31, Turkey leading decisively. Greece couldn’t cut down the margin.
• Dominance sustained in second half: Turkey maintained (and in many cases extended) their lead via strong rebounding, turnovers, efficient shooting, and defensive containment of Greece’s stars.

Greece vs Turkey: Tactical & Statistical Breakdown

Defensive Game Plan by Turkey

Turkey’s scheme focused heavily on:

• Denying Giannis Antetokounmpo space in the paint and forcing him into contested opportunities. Osmani and Sengün matched up inside well and helped in rotations.
• Turning Greece’s turnovers into fast break or transition points. Greece had 22 turnovers (a high number for them in semis) which Turkey exploited.

Greece’s Struggles

• Outside of Antetokounmpo and Sloukas, the rest of the Greek roster had trouble scoring or making plays. Shooting was off, and Greece couldn’t counter Turkey’s rhythm.
• Lack of bench contributions and difficulties in adjusting once Turkey got going. Momentum swings favored Turkey.

Statistical Highlights

• Shooting efficiency: Osmani’s efficient scoring, Turkey as a team made key shots especially from three-point range early.
• Rebounding & assists: Sengün’s double-digit rebound game and assist contributions kept Turkey balanced. Greece lacked similar production from its supporting players.
• Turnover differential: Turkey kept their turnovers low while forcing many from Greece; this was a significant imbalance and one of the turning points.

Head-to-Head & Historical Context

• Greece had dominated recent matchups between the two in official FIBA matches. Before this semifinal, Greece held an 11-3 advantage in FIBA-official head-to-heads versus Turkey.
• Greece had won their friendly matches recently — but in official high-stakes tournament matches, Turkey had underperformed vs Greece historically. This win marks one of Turkey’s more impressive ones in that rivalry.

[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]

 

Implications: What This Means

For Turkey

• First Final since 2001: This marks their return to the EuroBasket final after 24 years, chasing their first major European medal since then.
• Title potential: Facing Germany in the final, Turkey will believe they can win gold — with momentum, efficient offense, and strong interior play, they have a real shot.
• Confidence in depth: Players beyond the stars contributed (bench, role players), and coaching (Ataman) appears effective at adjustments and executing gameplan.

For Greece

• Bronze match upcoming: Greece will now play Finland in the third-place game. It’s a chance to salvage a medal.
• Rethink strategy: How they defend against bigs like Osmani/Sengün, how they generate offense outside of Giannis, improvements needed in bench production and turnovers.
• Future & morale: Even though this loss stings, deep run into semis shows promise; but expectations will be higher and many in Greece will be critical of missed opportunities.

The EuroBasket Semi-Finals Will Be Epic! Greece Vs Turkey | The Panel https://t.co/u8SacPOAjB

— Players Choice (@PlayersChoice_) September 10, 2025

Greece vs Turkey: What to Look For in the Final & Bronze Game

• Turkey vs Germany Final: Will Turkey be able to carry through the level of intensity and defensive discipline vs Germany, who come in after a win over Finland. Germany’s strengths include guard play (Dennis Schröder) and wing scoring (Franz Wagner). The final could be tight.
• Greece vs Finland Bronze Match: A must-win for Greek pride. Key players like Giannis Antetokounmpo will need to play with urgency; Finland allowed Germany’s offense several opportunities. Greece must limit turnovers and get more depth scoring.

Related Insights & Rivalry Relevance

• The Greece vs Turkey matchup is among the fiercest in European basketball, laden with history (political, sporting), and fans always expect high intensity. Previews before the game emphasized the coaching duel (Ergin Ataman vs Greek staff), star clashes (Giannis vs Sengün), and the pressure on role players.
• The historical dominance that Greece had over Turkey added to the stakes: Turkey’s win breaks that pattern and gives them momentum.