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Türkiye's men's national basketball team is set to play its 1,067th match on Sunday, facing Iceland in Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital, in the second round of Group J in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Basketball World Cup 2027 European qualifiers.
The team played their first-ever match on June 24, 1936, against Greece. Over more than 90 years, Türkiye has played 1,066 games, recording 555 wins and 510 losses.
The team has drawn once in its history. A friendly against Macedonia in Istanbul on June 13, 1995, ended 78-78.
Türkiye's first official win came at the 1949 European Championship in Egypt. After losing their opening two matches to Greece and France, the team defeated Syria to secure their first win in an official competition.
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Türkiye's largest margin of victory came against Libya. At the Islamic Countries Sports Games in İzmir, a city on Türkiye's western coast, on September 29, 1980, Türkiye won 142-45, a 97-point margin.
The team's heaviest defeats came against Croatia and France. At the 28th European Championship in Germany on June 24, 1993, Türkiye lost to Croatia 113-63, a 50-point margin. In a friendly match away to France on July 3, 2024, Türkiye lost 96-46.
Sunday's match will also be head coach Ergin Ataman's 104th game in charge of the team. Under Ataman, Türkiye has recorded 58 wins and 45 losses in 103 matches.
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