Led by a strong outing from back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia held off Turkey, 79-72 (box score), in Sunday’s European qualifier for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tournament.
But while the perennial All-Star center of the Denver Nuggets was the headliner, Turkey rallied from an early deficit and made the game very competitive thanks to a similarly elite performance by young center Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets.
Sengun tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots in 34 minutes, and he made 8-of-9 shots (88.9%) from the free-throw line. Turkey was +3 as a team in the 34-plus minutes that the 20-year-old played, and -10 in the nearly six minutes that he sat out.
Sengun’s big game still wasn’t enough to win, however, thanks to another brilliant game from Jokic. The massive Serbian big man scored 25 points in 25 minutes on 10-of-16 shooting (62.5%), and he also grabbed 10 rebounds in leading his team to victory.
Scroll on for a look at highlights and key takeaways.
Alperen Sengun against Serbia:
17 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK | 61 TS%
Spearheaded the Turkey comeback in the third quarter 🔥pic.twitter.com/faBFt2SQLe
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) August 28, 2022
This is the best I’ve ever seen Alperen Sengun shoot free throws.
He’s currently 8/9 from the stripe!! #Rockets pic.twitter.com/yXbj4TO5PU
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) August 28, 2022
"GIMME THAT SH*T" -Alperen Sengun
JOIN US: https://t.co/i4Egh7OnCp pic.twitter.com/E8eWgJASV2
— RocketsWatch (@RocketsWatch) August 28, 2022
OH MY GOD.
SENGUN JUST EUROSTEPPED AND SCORED OVER JOKIC.
— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) August 28, 2022
Alperen Sengun goes straight at Jokic for the bucket. "What in the world is going on in Istanbul?" pic.twitter.com/qHiQOGIYni
— Will (@WillMoeller) August 28, 2022
Alperen Sengun has been insane passing the ball this game man. Capitalizing on advantages either he himself created or as a connector swinging and in short roll. Interior passes been crazy.
Great vision and misdirection too.
— SangxHarden (@SangRockets) August 28, 2022
ALPEREN SENGUN FROM DEEP.
He’s going to will Turkey back into this game by himself if he has too.
— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) August 28, 2022
Alperen Sengun with the offensive board and a DIME!
JOIN US: https://t.co/i4Egh7OnCp pic.twitter.com/ZZlTEndNHM
— RocketsWatch (@RocketsWatch) August 28, 2022
ALPEREN SENGUN. ALWAYS.
JOIN US: https://t.co/i4Egh7wMKR pic.twitter.com/ZVYFQuSMQ6
— RocketsWatch (@RocketsWatch) August 28, 2022
So few guys in the NBA are used to guarding post ups these days that I think, if you’re elite at it like Sengun (and Jokic obv), it can be an effective source of offense especially if you can also pass out of it
A little zig while others zag
— Draft Dummies (@DraftDummies) August 28, 2022
Hell of a game in Turkey. Serbia took a huge road win (79-72)
Nikola Jokic put them on his back: 24 pts, 10 rebs, 10-16 FG
Alperen Sengun was sensational. 17 pts, 13 rebs, 2 blks
Cedi Osman led Turkey 22 points, 6 rebs, 2 asts.
Furkan Korkmaz: 18 pts, 3 rebs, 6-12 FG.#FIBAWC— Christos Tsaltas (@Tsaltas46) August 28, 2022
