Greece stun Turkey, clinch spot in OQT final / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Media Credit FIBA Media

Greece triumphed over Turkey by 63-81 (22-8, 12-19, 13-24, 16-30) at the Victoria Memorial Centre in Canada and earned their place in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament final.

Player of the Game EFF 27 Georgios Papagiannis Points 14 Accuracy 6-6 Rebounds 13 Assists 1

Rick Pitino's men will face the Czech Republic on Sunday (23:05 GMT). Containing Calathes and Sloukas was key for Turkey in the first half, but when the two leading Greek players stepped up big-time in the second part, there was no turning back, considering Ene's squad lacked a quality point guard who could potentially stir things up.

Giannoulis Larentzakis was Greece's best performance throughout the entire game (14 points) in what has turned out as a terrific tournament for the guard of Olympiacos Piraeus.

The Greeks saw four more of their men reach double digits in scoring: Nick Calathes had 18 (plus 6 rebounds and as many assists, all in the second half), Kostas Sloukas put up 15, dishing out 9 assists, Giorgos Papagiannis chipped in another 14 on a late dominant display (on a perfect 6 for 6 on two-point shots, plus 13 rebounds) and Mitoglou overcame his shooting woes, ending up with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

For Turkey, Furkan Korkmaz scored 20 points on 6 for 15 from the field, while Alperen Sengun sank in 12 points, most of them in the first half.

Korkmaz and Ilyasova did everything for Turkey at the start of the game, giving their team an early 7-point lead (9-2). However, it was Alperen Sengun who made the difference, later on, scoring 9 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in 7 minutes.

Greece could not control the rhythm, bank in some wide-open shots, defend in transition, and avoid turnovers.

Moreover, Calathes got off on the wrong foot (0 assists-3 turnovers in 14 minutes of play), and Pitino's team could not find the way to break through Orhun Ene's zone defense, which was by no means static.

Free throws this season

75%13,7Points made:13,7Accuracy:74,5%Place in standings:9Record max:20Record min:9Most made FTs:Alperen SengunTeamOQTStatisticsSchedule

Turkey absolutely dominated the game (22-8 in the first quarter) when the Greeks were 4 for 19 from the field.

Larentzakis gave Greece an instant score from the bench, amassing 11 points in the first half and cutting down the Turkish lead to 6 (25-19).

The 2010 World Cup finalists got the best out of the Greek fouls, which gave them easy points from the free-throw line. A very long-distance three by Sloukas, combined with a Papagiannis hook and another dagger by Mitoglou, turned the scenery upside down. The "blue and white" took the upper hand (34-37), completing a 10-0 run at the beginning of the third quarter.

It was evident that in Korkmaz's absence, Turkish offense became predictable. The reversal of fortune and the emergence of Nick Calathes brought Greece up by 10 (39-49). Double teams and full-court press provided Turkey with a viable solution. Sengun and Yurtseven offered a helping hand, and Turkey was back for good.

A big Korkmaz three-pointer made it 50-51, but Pitino's time out gave his players more steam.

The Greeks managed to hold on to the lead thanks to the Sloukas-Papagiannis combo. Panathinaikos's big man scored six consecutive points, which restored the two-time EuroBasket winners' advantage.

Calathes went deep to make it 55-66, five minutes before the final buzzer. When the point guard of FC Barcelona hit another three-pointer, the scoreboard became even more discouraging for Turkey (58-72).

For them, it was all downhill from there. Now, Greece is one win away from getting their first-ever Olympic qualification outside their home territory.

Turkey: Furkan Korkmaz 20 (4/9 3PT), Alperen Sengun 12, Bugrahan Tuncer 8 (2/5 3PT), Melih Mahmutoglu 7.Greece: Nick Calathes 18 (7/11 2PT, 1/6 3PT, 6 REB, 6 AST), Kostas Sloukas 15 (4/7 2PT, 2/5 3PT, 9 AST), Georgios Papagiannis 14 (6/6 2PT, 13 REB, 2 BLK, 27 PIR), Giannoulis Larentzakis 14, Konstantinos Mitoglou 10 (12 REB).

Nick Calathes performance

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