Newsletters
Türkiye's historic run to the EuroBasket final ended Sunday with a 88-83 loss to defending World Cup champion Germany, but not before securing silver in their first championship game appearance in 24 years.
Despite the defeat, Türkiye earned its second medal in program history, matching the silver from 2001 when the team hosted the tournament on home soil. The achievement marks a triumphant return to European basketball's summit for a program that hadn't reached a semifinal since that memorable home tournament.
Shane Larkin and Alperen Sengun anchored Türkiye's championship push, with the veteran point guard providing steady leadership and the NBA center dominating in the paint throughout the tournament. Their partnership formed the backbone of a team that entered Sunday's final with a perfect 8-0 record.
Türkiye's path to the final included a dominant 94-68 semifinal victory over Greece, where Ercan Osmani exploded for 28 points and Cedi Osman added 17. That performance demonstrated the offensive firepower that carried the team through eight consecutive victories before meeting Germany.
The championship game remained tightly contested throughout all four quarters, with neither team able to establish a commanding lead. Germany took an early 24-22 advantage after the first period, but Türkiye responded strongly in the second quarter to hold a 46-40 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw Türkiye maintain their edge at 67-66, setting up a dramatic final period. Germany's experience and depth proved decisive in the fourth quarter, as they outscored Türkiye 22-16 to secure the 88-83 victory and complete their perfect tournament run.
Sengun led Türkiye's scoring effort while drawing fouls and creating opportunities for teammates throughout the contest. Larkin orchestrated the offense with nine assists, while Cedi Osman provided crucial three-point shooting. For Germany, Dennis Schroder's playmaking proved decisive with 12 assists, while Isaac Bonga and Franz Wagner contributed key baskets in crucial moments.
Germany, led by Dennis Schroder's tournament-long excellence and Franz Wagner's clutch shooting, proved too strong in the final. The World Cup champions became just the second undefeated EuroBasket champion in the past nine tournaments, joining Slovenia's 2017 squad in that exclusive group.
The championship comes as Germany's second EuroBasket gold medal, adding to their 1993 triumph and completing a remarkable two-year stretch that included the 2023 World Cup title. Schroder's leadership and Wagner's emergence as a star established Germany as European basketball's new powerhouse.
Türkiye had shown promise against Germany in pre-tournament play, losing narrowly 73-71 at the DBB Supercup in August. Sunday's final came as the both teams' were undefeated in their respective tournament runs, with only the championship at stake separating two of Europe's best squads.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the team on social media following the final. "I wholeheartedly congratulate our National Men's Basketball Team, which came 2nd in the FIBA 2025 European Basketball Championship," Erdogan wrote. "Thank you for this historic success, for the determination and struggle you showed until the last second #12DevAdam! We are proud of you."
The team's performance throughout the tournament, including a perfect group stage record of 5-0 and subsequent victories over Sweden, Poland, and Greece, demonstrated Türkiye's return to elite European basketball after a 24-year absence from major finals.
Greece claimed bronze earlier Sunday, defeating Finland in the third-place game.
1 min read
4 min read
