Turkey remains undefeated on the road to Qatar. Ergin Ataman's team rolled over Lithuania (94-66) in the opening game of the second round of 2027 World Cup qualifying and improved to 7-0, putting their ticket within reach.
On the other side, Lithuania falls to 3-4 and, for the first time in a long while, drops out of the positions that guarantee a World Cup berth.
Two former Panathinaikos players, and what players they are
The game was won by two familiar names in European basketball. Cedi Osman, now with PAOK, posted 22 points on 4-of-5 shooting from two-point range, 3-of-5 from three-point range, and six rebounds in just 20 minutes of play. Ömer Yurtseven added 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and four rebounds in 18 minutes. Between the two, 39 points in 39 minutes of play: the exact summary of why Lithuania was never in this game.
Yurtseven's performance deserves special mention. The Turkish center remains a free agent following his departure from Real Madrid this summer, and performances like this serve as a showcase in a market that still has roster spots to fill. At 28 years old and standing 2.13 meters tall, he won't lack for calls if he maintains this level during the qualifying window.
Turkey, moreover, won without Alperen Sengün, who was absent from this roster. That the team can afford to do without its best player and still dispatch Lithuania by 28 points says quite a bit about the state of Ataman's project.
Lithuania in real trouble
On the other side, concern. Osvaldas Olisevicius was Lithuania's leading scorer with 11 points, followed by Matas Jogela and Augustas Marciulionis—son of Sarunas Marciulionis, a legend of Lithuanian basketball—with 10 each. Nobody went beyond that, and that's precisely the problem: a team historically accustomed to appearing at every major tournament now finds itself forced to climb positions in Group J where they compete with Italy, Serbia, and Bosnia for the three available spots.
Turkey, at 7-0 with five games remaining, has the job practically done.