Turkey is heading to the FIBA EuroBasket semifinals for the first time since 2001 after defeating Poland 91-77 on Tuesday afternoon (box score).
In doing so, Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun enjoyed a historic performance in becoming the youngest player in EuroBasket history to post a triple-double.
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The 23-year-old finished with 19 points (50.0% on two-pointers), 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in 25 minutes, making him only the sixth player in EuroBasket history to record a triple-double.
In the first quarter, Sengun did not score. But, the 2025 NBA All-Star affected the game in other ways with three assists, and that kept the game tied despite the lack of scoring by Turkey’s star big man.
In the second quarter, Turkey began to pull away. Sengun looked to score more and crashed the boards, including two straight offensive rebounds after his own misses.
Sengun also continued getting his teammates involved, as he added three more assists in the quarter. Turkey outscored Poland, 27-13, to take a 46-32 lead at halftime.
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According to Vasiliki Karamouza, an on-site reporter in Latvia, Sengun’s first half made him the first player in the last 30 years to combine for at least 70 rebounds and 40 assists in a single tournament.
In the third quarter, Sengun’s passing ability remained on full display. With just under seven minutes left and four nearby defenders, Sengun completed a spinning no-look pass to Turkish guard Sehmus Hazer. The possession resulted in an open 3-pointer for Cedi Osman (though he missed it).
Later in the quarter, former Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz drained a 3-pointer to give Turkey a commanding 61-40 lead and Sengun his 10th assist of the game.
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In the final quarter, Turkey remained in control throughout, as Poland could not get the deficit under 10 points. With just over a minute remaining, Sengun added to his highlight reel and put on the finishing touch by ‘Eurostepping’ his way into a 180-degree reverse dunk.
After a historic day, Sengun told reporters that he is a team player and will do whatever it takes to win.
“I’m a team player, so I’’m gonna do whatever it takes to win,” Sengun said. “If it’s defense day, defense day, if it’s offense day, offense day. I don’t care, whatever you tell me, I do.”
To Sengun, recording the triple-double meant a lot more in a win.
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“It didn’t mean anything if we would have lose today and I got the triple-double, so I’m happy we won and I give my everything, defense and offense,” Sengun said. “Just happy.”
Next up for Sengun and Turkey is a high-profile matchup versus Greece (and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo) in Friday’s EuroBasket semifinals. The tipoff time is still to be determined.
More: EuroBasket MVP? As Turkey advances, Rockets star Alperen Sengun praised by opponents
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: In historic win, Alperen Sengun records rare EuroBasket triple-double