Toppling the biggest favorite for the championship! This year’s EuroBasket featured the highest level showdown!

Up to now in this year’s EuroBasket, the highest caliber match was Turkey versus Serbia.

The match timing was inconvenient for Chinese fans; those able should watch the replay.

This top battle in Group A lasted until the final moment, with exceptional skill and fierce tactical exchanges. In the end, Turkey triumphed over Serbia 95-90, going 5-0 in the group stage and advancing undefeated to the last 16.

The game saw 8 ties and 15 lead changes in total.

In the end, Turkey emerged victorious, handing Serbia their first group stage loss in EuroBasket since 2017.

Where did Turkey’s win come from? Şengün’s superstar performance and dominance from beyond the arc.

The key duel of this game: Jokic versus Şengün.

Both players come from the same style of play, with Şengün often called the “little Jokic.” This time, the veteran was thoroughly outplayed.

Şengün played 36 minutes, shooting 10 of 17, scoring a game-high 28 points along with 13 rebounds and 8 assists.

Jokic played 32 minutes, shooting 10 of 16, hitting 2 of 6 from three-point range, with no free throws, finishing with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.

In five group games this EuroBasket, Şengün averages 29 minutes per game, scoring 21.6 points, grabbing 9.6 rebounds, and dishing out 6.8 assists, with shooting percentages of 65.6% field goals, 46.2% three-pointers, and 81.8% free throws.

Judging solely by FIBA competitions, Şengün has clearly evolved.

If he can carry this dominant form to Houston, the Rockets’ upcoming season is highly promising.

Back to this game, Turkey’s perimeter shooting was outstanding: 15 of 25 in the first three quarters and 18 of 31 overall, while Serbia shot just 11 of 26 from beyond the arc.

From this perspective, losing by only 5 points is understandable.

For Serbia, the top favorite to win this tournament, the biggest current issue is injuries.

Captain Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Portugal, diagnosed as a muscle tear; after consulting with the LA Clippers, he will receive treatment in the U.S. to recover as soon as possible.

This means losing their most crucial perimeter player.

To make matters worse, Vucevic also missed this game due to injury, and Avramovic left midway through the second quarter with heel pain.

Effectively, Serbia lost three key players.

A quick complaint about the EuroBasket schedule: four groups, each team plays five intense group matches, causing many teams to suffer injuries...

For Serbia, who have never won the EuroBasket, this year is both a strong desire and a real chance to claim the title.

But injuries...

Looking ahead at the situation.

Losing to Turkey isn’t the end of the world for Jokic’s team.

However, another bad piece of news besides injuries is that they are in the same bracket as Germany.

This means these two teams won’t meet in the final. (My original expectation was a final showdown between them.)

Germany, as the new World Cup champions, are currently on a hot streak, winning every game with ease and joy.

In the knockout stage, Serbia must first get past Markkanen’s Finland, while Germany should have little trouble against Portugal.

As for Turkey, they have a real chance to create a big upset this year.

Their frontcourt includes NBA players Şengün and Boner, with the former being a rising star.

On the wings, familiar faces Osman and Korkmaz.

At guard, naturalized player Larkin, well-known in European basketball as a dominant force. Turkey has strong players across all three lines, making this team very well-rounded and comfortable on the court...

They also have a major advantage: this group has played together for many years, not just a hastily assembled squad.

Therefore, their combat effectiveness is impressive.

For Jokic’s team, the focus must be on winning the immediate battles and getting past Finland first.

European basketball’s overall level is so high that there are no real upsets or surprises.

It’s absurd that a team of Turkey’s caliber can’t qualify for the Olympics...

On the other side, Luka Dončić’s situation is even tougher, having to play both offense and defense like a one-man army.

He carries the offensive load and also has to cover the interior defensively...

Last season with the Lakers, lacking interior support was tough enough; now on the national team, Dončić still faces this hardship.

If Slovenia fails to beat Israel tonight, they will most likely face Greece in the knockout stage.

Given their interior lineup, they will probably be overwhelmed by Giannis...

One final question I’ve been pondering lately, posed to knowledgeable basketball fans watching this:

How many EuroBasket teams can the Chinese men’s basketball team realistically beat?