EuroBasket tipped off on Wednesday with games across the continent, but being at home did not help Latvia in its opener, as it fell to Turkiye 93-73.
It wasn’t a good day for the Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis, who shot 3-of-12 from the floor and ended up in a poster at the hands of Sehmus Hazer.
Hazer plays for Turkish power Anadolu Efes and played three games at the 2021 NBA Summer League for the Cavaliers.
Alperen Sungun had an impressive opening game with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, leading a Turkiye team that looked like a real threat in this tournament.
NBA veteran Cedi Osman, who now plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, led Turkiye with 20 points, while former Maverick, Knick, Net and Celtic Shane Larkin added 15. The simple difference in this game: Turkiye shot 60% from the floor while Latvia shot 38.7%.