Greece and Turkey fly to the semifinals of EuroBasket 2025
The race toward the continental title gets more and more intense: Greece and Turkey win the pass to the EuroBasket 2025 semifinals, confirming the solidity of their path and the strength of their respective leaders on the court. It was an evening of great basketball in Riga, with two challenges offering intensity, talent and a few moments destined to remain in the annals.
Ergin Ataman’s Turkey put on a show, decisively overcoming Poland with a convincing 91-77 win. The absolute star was Alperen Sengun, who wrote a page in history with a triple-double that is very rare at this level: 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in just 31 minutes of play, a testament to his versatility and continued growth. Next to him, naturalized director Shane Larkin made the difference with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Sehmus Hazer added solid contributions on both sides of the court. A choral effort that confirmed Turkey as one of the most complete lineups in the tournament.
Vassilis Spanoulis’ Greece was no different, able to handle the match against Lithuania with authority. After a first quarter closed at a disadvantage (19-24), the Hellenes revved up the engine and never looked back, imposing 87-76. As always, the beacon was Giannis Antetokounmpo, devastating with 29 points and 6 rebounds in 32 minutes of physical and technical dominance. Next to him shined Vassilis Toliopoulos, valuable with 17 points, and veteran Kostas Sloukas, author of 11 points and the usual expert direction. Lithuania tried to resist dragged by its leader Jonas Valanciunas, author of a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds, but the Greek wall was impassable.
With these successes, Greece and Turkey not only detach their ticket to the semifinals, but also seriously bid for a place in the finals, bringing with them two parallel stories: that of Ataman, a technician accustomed to winning everywhere, and that of Spanoulis, a parquet legend who is already leaving an indelible mark even on the bench.
