Spain closed the first stage of Eurobasket in the best possible way with a brilliant victory over Turkey, 69 to 72. That win preserves them in fourth place of the tournament and guarantees first place in Group A, theoretically paving an easier path in the 16th round, which will be played Saturday in Berlin, where the final stage takes place. Scariolo’s team showed resilience after the stumble against Belgium, riding two straight wins that boosted their confidence against Montenegro and Turkey.
Against the strongest rival in the group, Spain delivered a cohesive team performance even without the presence of a core star like Rudy. Scariolo had to cope with a knee blow to the coach. His team’s strength lies in collective commitment. Turkey features decisive players such as Ricky Rubio’s Cavaliers teammate Osman, a fearless presence with the Sixers, Sengun the young Rockets talent, and Shane Larkin guiding Efes. Yet the Spanish side learned to cover their weaknesses through team unity, which allowed them not only to stand firm but to control several moments of the game in detail.
From the start, Turkey threatened with Osman’s talent and Sengun’s actions, who hit three triples in the opening quarter. Willy Hernangómez answered first for the Spanish side by continuing to contribute on defense when facing Montenegro.
The Pelicans big man was not alone in delivering impact. His brother Juancho and Brizuela stepped up from the bench to contribute in attack. Sebas Sáiz also had moments where he impressed, showing solid defense and helping to steer the offense at the end of the first half to a lead.
Brown’s leadership
Spain, already qualified for the round of 16, played with poise, constantly seeking the best option through extra passes and intelligent offense to counter every Turkish blow, moving with greater intensity from the three point line. The sharp decision making of Lorenzo Brown, who grew more and more integrated with Scariolo’s plans, became crucial to the team’s solid performance. The defense tightened in the second half, keeping Turkey from grabbing the initiative for long. Korkmaz and Osman connected on a few triples during a Turkey run, while Larkin maintained a calm rhythm. Sáiz provided a defensive spark in the first half, and Garuba stepped up in the second, adding steals and contributing offensively with a pair of counterattacks and six points by the end of the third period, which stood at 50-56.
Starting the final quarter with a 7-0 burst, Turkey again moved to balance the game with a triple to equalize, reaching 59-59 with 35 seconds on the clock. But Spain retained composure in the closing stretch, with Willy Hernangómez remaining consistent under the boards, López-Arostegui and Brown delivering key scores, and Alberto Díaz providing defensive pressure that helped disrupt Larkin in the decisive moments with 19 seconds remaining to seal the victory. The win confirmed Spain’s strong finish to the group stage and set the tone for the knockout rounds. (citation: Eurobasket report)