Türkiye beats Lithuania 94-66 to open World Cup qualifying second round
08:14, 29/08/2026, SaturdayU: Update: 08:19, 29/08/2026, Saturday
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Cedi Osman (6) of Turkiye in action against Justas Furmanavicius (4) of Lithuania during FIBA 2027 World Cup European Qualifiers Group J second round match between Turkiye and Lithuania at Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, Turkiye on August 28, 2026.Türkiye's national basketball team defeated Lithuania 94-66 in Istanbul on Friday to begin the second round of FIBA World Cup qualifying undefeated, with captain Cedi Osman leading the scoring on his milestone 200th appearance for the Twelve Giants at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center.
Türkiye’s national basketball team opened the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers with a commanding 94-66 victory over Lithuania in Istanbul, extending their perfect record to 7-0 as captain Cedi Osman celebrated his 200th cap with a game-high 22 points. The EuroBasket 2025 runners-up controlled proceedings from the opening tip at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center, establishing a double-digit lead within the first ten minutes.
Osman scored 13 points in the opening period to help the hosts build a 27-13 advantage, while center Omer Faruk Yurtseven contributed eight points in the second quarter. Türkiye entered halftime with a commanding 55-34 lead that reflected their dominance on both ends of the floor.
Milestone performances
Osman finished with 22 points and six rebounds to mark his 200th appearance for the national side, adding another chapter to his tenure as one of the Twelve Giants' cornerstone players. Yurtseven provided strong support in the paint with 17 points and four rebounds, helping Türkiye extend the margin to 28 points during the third quarter as the hosts carried a 75-47 advantage into the final period.
Lithuania mounted a brief rally early in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 21 points at 81-60 with just over five minutes remaining. Coach Ergin Ataman called a timeout to steady his side, after which Türkiye responded with a decisive 5-0 run to extinguish any hope of a comeback and close out the 28-point victory.
Group J standings
The result leaves Türkiye atop Group J with 12 points after carrying over a perfect 6-0 record from the first round, while Lithuania began the second phase with nine points following a 3-3 opening round. The top three finishers from each six-team group will secure qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Türkiye will travel to Iceland for their second Group J fixture on Monday as they continue their pursuit of a spot at next year's tournament. The national team has won all seven of its qualifying matches to date.
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