Impressive Turks advance
Turkey moved a step closer to winning the 2010 FIBA World Championships. The hosts breezed past France, 95-77, at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul to advance to the quarter-finals.
The Turks, who topped Group C, showcased both their offensive and defensive prowess throughout the game to conquer the French. Egged on by the home fans, the Turks raced to a 5-0 start after Omer Asik and Hedo Turkoglu hit their shots. But the French quickly recovered to tie the scores at 8-8. Turkey, however, regained their lead shortly after and ended the period with a 19-14 advantage. Turkoglu, who will play for the Phoenix Suns in the upcoming National Basketball Association season, scored six points in the period.
A 7-2 run allowed the Turks to extend their lead to 26-16 early in the second. France tried to rally back but could only come close to six points. Turkey closed out the quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 43-28 half-time lead. Young centre Oguz Savas scored six points in the period to lead the Turks' surge.
Instead of relaxing, Turkey pulled away in the third period. A 10-0 run sparked by back-to-back treys from Turkoglu gave the Turks a 53-28 cushion at the 7:19 mark. Nicolas Batum tried to spark a comeback but the hosts answered back every time they closed the gap. Turkey led by 26 points at one point before the French trimmed their lead to 21. But the Turks closed out the period with a 9-4 run to take a 71-45 lead after three quarters.
With the game already in the bag, the Turks played more relaxed in the fourth quarter. Though the French outscored them, 24-32, it was not enough to overcome their huge lead.
Turkoglu finished with 20 points and grabbed four rebounds to lead the Turks. He also made three assists. Backing him up was Sinan Guler, who contributed 17 points and three assists. Also making an impact was Asik, who had 10 points and five rebounds. NBA veteran Boris Diaw was the top performer for France with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. Nando de Colo added 15 points and three rebounds. Batum had 11 points.
The victory extended the Turks' winning streak in the tournament to six games after sweeping the group stage. They will next take on Slovenia for a place in the semi-finals. The Slovenians crushed Australia, 87-58, in the day's first game.
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