Photo: FIBA

From the opening tip in Group A, it was clear there would be no drama. Türkiye imposed their rhythm instantly, and by the time the first half ended, the scoreboard already told the story: dominance.

Behind Alperen Sengun’s brilliance and a relentless team effort, they marched to a commanding 95-54 victory, sealing a perfect 3-0 record and an early ticket to the Round of 16.

Coach Ergin Ataman’s players looked locked in, building a 24-point halftime lead that never wavered.

“We wanted to bring the right intensity from the start,” Ataman noted afterward, and his squad did exactly that.

From there, the game was little more than an exhibition in control, Türkiye cruising to the finish line with confidence.

Turning Point

Although Türkiye started strong, it was the second quarter that put the contest to bed. Bench duo Furkan Korkmaz and Onuralp Bitim ignited a surge with their hustle, shooting touch, and willingness to run.

“It’s about energy,” Bitim said, and the energy was unmistakable.

That 10-minute stretch produced 29 points for Türkiye, outpacing Portugal by 15 in the same period and erasing any sense of suspense. For Mario Gomes’ team, the game slipped away too fast to recover.

The only subplot left in the second half was whether Türkiye could crack 100 points. It would’ve been a historic fourth time at EuroBasket, joining their century-mark outings in 1957 (100-54 vs. Scotland), 2015 (111-102 vs. Iceland), and 2022 (101-87 vs. Bulgaria).

This time, they stopped just short.

TCL Player of the Game

Alperen Sengun continues to shine like a player beyond his years. At just 23, he has become Türkiye’s engine, their anchor, and increasingly their MVP candidate.

“He does everything at such a high level,” one teammate remarked postgame, and the stats backed it up once again.

Sengun piled up all 20 of his points in the first half, adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists for good measure, finishing with an efficiency rating of 27. And he did it all in just 21 minutes, sitting out the entire fourth quarter with the job already done.

Stats Don’t Lie

The biggest gap was simple: shot-making. Türkiye converted 60 percent of their attempts, while Portugal struggled at just 31 percent. That difference alone told the tale of why the game was so one-sided.

Bottom Line

Türkiye’s ambitions are stretching further now. With three wins already – matching their entire total from EuroBasket 2022 – they are eying the kind of deep run not seen since 2009, when they stormed through their first five games.

Next comes Estonia, before a marquee showdown with Serbia that could reveal just how high this team’s ceiling really is.

Portugal, dropping to 1-2, had 15 points from Neemias Queta, but it was clear his individual effort couldn’t carry them against Türkiye’s collective power.

As Coach Gomes summed it up, “They were simply at another level tonight.”

Sengun shines, Türkiye advance to next phase of #EuroBasket.https://t.co/yHAVlCHKrg