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Türkiye's men's national basketball team will play its 1,066th match on Friday, hosting Lithuania in the opening game of the second round of FIBA's 2027 World Cup European qualifiers.
Since its first-ever match against Greece on June 24, 1936, Türkiye has played 1,065 games over more than 90 years, winning 554 and losing 510. The team has drawn once, in a June 13, 1995 friendly against North Macedonia in Istanbul that ended 78-78.
Friday's game will also be head coach Ergin Ataman's 103rd match in charge of the national team, with a 57-45 record over 102 games.
The match will be played at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, starting at 9:00 p.m. local time and broadcast live on TRT 1 and S Sport.
Türkiye finished the first round of qualifying with a 6-0 record to top Group C, while Lithuania finished second in Group D at 3-3. Carrying win-loss totals into the second round, Türkiye enters Group J as the strongest-positioned team.
It will be the 13th official meeting between the two sides; Türkiye has won 3 of the 12 previous matches since 1997, while Lithuania has won 9, including the teams' most recent meeting, a 73-61 loss for Türkiye in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals in Barcelona, Spain.
Türkiye began preparations for the qualifying window on August 16 and traveled to Germany on Aug. 18, taking part in the Turkish Airlines DBB Super Cup in Hamburg on Aug. 21-22.
The team lost its opener to Croatia 95-94 before defeating Czechia 99-84, finishing third in the tournament.
Speaking to reporters before training, head coach Ergin Ataman said the team's 6-0 record in the first round gives it an advantage heading into a tougher group, though the absence of Alperen Sengun and Shane Larkin will affect the lineup.
He described Lithuania as a dangerous team with experienced EuroLeague players, including Tubelis and Motiejunas, adding that Türkiye needs to use home-court advantage on Friday before facing Iceland, where the team suffered its last official defeat.
Ataman said Türkiye needs at least two or three wins in the upcoming window to secure qualification for the World Cup.
Captain Cedi Osman said the team is not taking its 6-0 start for granted given a tougher group ahead, adding that Türkiye must play at full effort regardless of Lithuania's roster.
The Türkiye men's national basketball team candidate roster under head coach Ergin Ataman includes Darius Karutasu, Ercan Osmani, Erkan Yilmaz, Kenan Sipahi, Malachi Flynn, Berk Ibrahim Ugurlu, Furkan Korkmaz, Metecan Birsen, Onuralp Bitim, Sertac Sanli, Sehmus Hazer, Yigitcan Saybir, Yigit Arslan, Cedi Osman, Adem Bona, Omer Faruk Yurtseven, and Omer Kutluay.
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