Turkey vs Lithuania

Türkiye seized control early and never relented. Playing in front of a packed home crowd in Istanbul, the hosts built a double-digit lead in the first half behind Osman's relentless drives and Yurtseven's presence in the paint. Lithuania, missing several key contributors from their deeper rotations, struggled to find consistent scoring against Türkiye's disciplined defensive sets.

Each time Lithuania threatened a run, Osman answered — whether pulling up from mid-range, finishing at the rim, or finding open shooters on the perimeter. His efficiency (7/10 FG) typified Türkiye's overall surgical offence, which moved the ball crisply and exploited mismatches against a Lithuania defence that had no answer for the athleticism gap.

The margin swelled past 20 points in the third quarter and Türkiye coasted through the fourth, holding Lithuania to 66 points — well below their qualifying average of 90.5 PPG entering the night.

Türkiye's second-quarter surge effectively ended the contest before half-time. After a competitive opening period, the hosts cranked up their defensive pressure, forced multiple Lithuania turnovers in transition, and converted them into fast-break points. Lithuania entered the locker room facing a deficit they never threatened to overturn, as Türkiye's lead hovered around 20 points for most of the second half.

The game marked a statement of intent from a Türkiye side that has now won eight consecutive Qualifiers games dating back to February 2023 — the longest active winning streak in European qualifying.

Cedi Osman (Türkiye) — 22 points, 6 rebounds, 7/10 FG The captain delivered when it mattered most. Osman has now scored 15+ points in 10 of his 11 World Cup Qualifiers appearances, with Türkiye winning nine of those 11 games. His leadership and scoring punch were the difference.

Omer Yurtseven (Türkiye) — 17 points The big man provided a reliable interior presence, converting efficiently around the rim and helping Türkiye control the paint on both ends.

Alperen Sengun (Türkiye) — The Houston Rockets centre contributed across the board, with his presence alone stretching Lithuania's defence.

On the Lithuania side, none of their regular contributors hit double figures in a game where the team shot well below its qualifying averages. The 66-point total was their lowest output of the campaign.

Türkiye entered the game averaging 88.5 PPG in the Qualifiers, while Lithuania averaged 90.5 PPG. The final margin (94-66) shows Türkiye operating at their offensive ceiling while completely smothering Lithuania's attack — a 24.5-point swing below Lithuania's scoring norm.

Türkiye's 2PT FG% of 65.3% entering the game (best in the European Qualifiers) was on full display, as their inside game proved too physical for Lithuania's frontcourt. Lithuania, by contrast, managed just 53.9% on 2-point attempts for the campaign and fell well short of that mark in Istanbul.

Türkiye move to 7-0 atop Group J, three wins clear of the chasing pack. With only the top three from each Second Round group advancing to the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, Türkiye are in pole position to secure qualification well before the final window.

"I think it was important to see that kind of intensity against a team with Lithuania's pedigree," head coach Ergin Ataman said after the game, according to FIBA's official coverage.

Lithuania drop to 3-4 in Group J and face an uphill battle to reach Qatar. They have never lost more games during a single Qualifying campaign, and the pressure is now on to bounce back in their remaining fixtures.

Next up: Türkiye travel to face Iceland on Monday 31 August, while Lithuania host Serbia on the same day — a must-win if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Türkiye's perfect record now stands at 7-0, keeping alive the possibility of a flawless 12-0 Qualifying campaign — something no European team has achieved since Lithuania and Greece both went 11-1 in the 2019 cycle. Finland, Georgia and Iceland remain on Türkiye's Second Round schedule, with a trip to Serbia also still to come.

This was a statement performance from the deepest Türkiye squad in years. Osman's efficiency, Yurtseven's interior scoring, and suffocating team defence combined for a win that makes Türkiye look every bit the group favourite. For Lithuania, alarm bells are ringing — 66 points won't win many Qualifiers games, and their path to Qatar just got steeper.