{"id":413581,"date":"2025-09-03T22:53:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/nachrichten\/senguen-schlemmt-an-jokics-tisch\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T22:53:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:53:40","slug":"senguen-schlemmt-an-jokics-tisch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/nachberichte\/senguen-schlemmt-an-jokics-tisch\/","title":{"rendered":"Seng\u00fcn schlemmt an Jokics Tisch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You could see it in the way he moved. He had the date circled in red on the calendar. All that time being referred to by a last name that doesn\u2019t belong to him had to take a toll. And tonight wasn\u2019t some ordinary NBA regular-season game. It was a day to sit at the same table as his idol and finish taking down the father figure. Alperen Seng\u00fcn looked Nikola in the eye to say he was no longer \u2018Baby Jokic.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The game, one of the highest-level clashes so far in EuroBasket, offered countless twists. But Seng\u00fcn dominated from start to finish (95\u201390). Even a steal off Marko Guduric became the beginning of the end for Serbia.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seng\u00fcn, in the Name of the Father<\/h2>\n<p>On the first couple of possessions, Seng\u00fcn tried to attack Serbia the way he had steamrolled all his previous opponents. But he soon realized this challenge was different. After his third unsuccessful post-up, he decided to face up and pull Nikola Jokic away from the comfort of the paint. That opening quarter featured mid- and long-distance shooting. And he also started distributing the ball, something he clearly excels at.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Alperen Sengun with the behind the back assist<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vSr4Hf5Z4m\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/vSr4Hf5Z4m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrBuckBuckNBA\/status\/1963309958893543513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>He finished the night by getting back into the paint when his team needed it. And from there, he capped off a memorable evening with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4-of-7 from three.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"510\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot-vom-3-september-2025-um-22-21-53-uhr.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-411228\" style=\"width:345px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Shot chart for Alperen Seng\u00fcn vs Serbia.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Serbia Was Up to the Task<\/h2>\n<p>The contest was evenly matched, which speaks volumes about Turkey\u2014until recently not considered part of these discussions\u2014but also about Serbia, which has recovered nicely from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/articulos\/nikola-jokic-lesion-bogdanovic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">losing Bogdan Bogdanovic<\/a>. The Balkan side began the game appearing determined not to rely solely on Nikola Jokic. Early on, the big man touched the ball less than usual and mainly contributed through screens. He finished the first half with just five shot attempts, even though Turkey often defended him one-on-one when they had the ball.<\/p>\n<p>In his place, Serbia tried to involve more players in decision-making and playmaking. Nikola Jovic went more aggressive off the dribble, as did Marinkovic, Stefan Jovic, and Marko Guduric. Aleksa Avramovic did too, although his shot selection remains a concern despite his indispensable defense.<\/p>\n<p>However, as the game progressed, Jokic grew into the action, and his teammates leaned on him more. He especially found gold in the always-productive connection with Filip Petrusev, around which Serbia built its inside dominance. They finished with a 42\u201326 advantage in points in the paint.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Jokic was below his usual level and had a tough assignment on defense. Ercan Osmani did a great job denying him the ball, but on a normal day, the Denver Nuggets center would likely have imposed his will. Even so, we\u2019re talking about Jokic, who still guided Serbia in every half-court set and was a defensive anchor.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seng\u00fcn\u2019s Trusted Sidekick<\/h2>\n<p>Turkey\u2019s resilience was especially surprising. Several times, when Serbia tightened up passing lanes and forced errors that led to fast breaks, it seemed the game was slipping away. Each time, a couple of threes and solid defense brought Turkey back on level terms.<\/p>\n<p>Seng\u00fcn couldn\u2019t have asked for a better sidekick than Shane Larkin. From the start, Larkin showed extra electricity. A clear contrast to his longtime partner Vasilije Micic, who continues to struggle on the floor with the occasional flash of brilliance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Shane Larkin dances, Shane Larkin hits.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#EuroBasket<\/a> x <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TBF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">@TBF<\/a> \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hXXzUpNTRd\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/hXXzUpNTRd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroBasket\/status\/1963311837723623756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Larkin consistently blew by the usually sticky defense of Avramovic or Stefan Jovic, but he struggled to maintain those advantages once he hit the paint. His show came mostly from the outside, though his forays into the lane opened up a mountain of shots and favorable situations for his teammates. He was the second-best player in the game on merit alone.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Players<\/h2>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shane Larkin <\/h4>\n<p>His shooting prowess is intact, and he was a nonstop whirlwind. From his effortless ability to pull up for a three off the dribble\u2014while changing directions at lightning speed\u2014he gave Turkey the stability they needed. It was finding calm in the middle of chaos.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats<\/strong>: 23 points (5\/8 3PT), 9 assists.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nikola Jokic<\/h4>\n<p>He started with help from his teammates, letting them initiate offense. He ended fighting a lone battle, especially on defense, where he had little support against Seng\u00fcn\u2019s power. Realistically, Serbia couldn\u2019t have done much more for him, although he likely missed Jovic in the closing stretch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats<\/strong>: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alperen Seng\u00fcn<\/h4>\n<p>Some games mark a turning point for a player, and this one may be Seng\u00fcn\u2019s defining performance of the tournament. So far in the NBA, he\u2019s a star who\u2019s not quite at the \u201csuper-\u201d level. However, Houston has already made it clear that he\u2019s the leader, especially with Jalen Green\u2019s departure. And this EuroBasket seems poised to catapult him to new heights once he returns across the pond.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udcca 28 PTS | 13 REB | 8 AST<\/p>\n<p>Alperen Sengun putting Europe on notice! \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f A spectacular performance to help T\u00fcrkiye stay unbeaten.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#EuroBasket<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gUQlIjd2yR\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/gUQlIjd2yR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroBasket\/status\/1963343370396262784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Stats<\/strong>: 28 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Cover photo from FIBA EuroBasket)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You could see it in the way he moved. He had the date circled in red on the calendar. All that time being referred to &#8230; <a title=\"Seng\u00fcn schlemmt an Jokics Tisch\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/nachberichte\/senguen-schlemmt-an-jokics-tisch\/\" aria-label=\"Mehr Informationen \u00fcber Seng\u00fcn schlemmt an Jokics Tisch\">Mehr lesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14497,"featured_media":413579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5237],"tags":[4524,2804],"class_list":["post-413581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nachberichte","tag-alperen-sengun","tag-nikola-jokic","no-featured-image-padding","resize-featured-image"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alpi-sengun-brilliert-bei-den-rockets.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Niko Jens Schwann","author_link":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/autor\/niko-jens-schwann\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14497"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}