In what could be argued as the game of the tournament so far, Turkey oulasted Serbia, 95-90, in a meeting of two undefeated teams in Group A on Wednesday.
The pulsating game, which saw eight ties and 15 lead changes, was highlighted by the intense matchup between Turkey's Alperen Sengun and Serbia's Nikola Jokic. When the smoke cleared, it was Sengun and company who improved to 5-0.
The Houston Rockets center finished with a near triple-double of 28 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, showing yet again why he's one of the most skilled big men in basketball.
Jokic, meanwhile, had 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The Denver Nuggets star defended Sengun for almost the entire game and looked gassed at times.
After their win, the 23-year-old Sengun gave the 30-year-old Jokic his flowers.
“Jokic is one of the best players in the world. Rather, he's the best, as of recently. To play and get this win against him was really important for us. As for me, I also had the extra motivation for this game. So we're happy. I'm happy I've played well and we won,” said the Turkey star in a report from FIBA.
Some observers have compared Sengun to the three-time NBA MVP due to their similar playing style, including the ability to do everything on the floor by capitalizing on their size.
“(I shot) confidently. We had to make the open shots. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had any chances against this Serbia team. They left me open, and I shot with confidence,” added Sengun, who shot 10-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-7 from long distance.
Sengun had a breakout campaign with the Rockets last season, averaging career-highs across the board to earn his maiden appearance in the All-Star Game. He also helped Houston the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Turkey won five straight games in the EuroBasket for the first time since 2009. Serbia, on the other hand, absorbed its first loss in the group stage since 2017. Both nations are through to the Round of 16.
Turkey will face Sweden on Saturday, while Serbia will battle Finland on Sunday.
