Rallying with captain Dennis Schröder, Germany scored the final six points after Turkey had led for most of the game.
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Germany defeated Turkey's national basketball team 83-88 in the EuroBasket 2025 final in Riga on Sunday, in what was a tension-soaked match.
The win is Germany's second-ever European title and its first since 1993, when the men's team last won the EuroBasket, also commonly called the European Basketball Championship.
In a post on X, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised the team for the "sensational performance". "We are proud of you, you are an inspiration for young female and male athletes," Merz wrote.
Rallying with captain Dennis Schröder, Germany scored the final six points after Turkey had led for most of the game in the Latvian capital.
Shane Larkin, Şehmus Hazer, Cedi Osman, Ercan Osmani, and Alperen Şengün started as Turkey's squad at Arena Riga in Latvia against Germany's Schröder, Obst, Bonga, Theis, and Wagner.
Turkish coach Ergin Ataman and his students started the game very quickly and had a 13-2 run before Germany equalised with points from Bonga and Schröder, closing the first quarter with a 22-24 lead over the Turks.
The first half of the final game, in which the two undefeated teams faced each other for the first time since 2003, ended 46-40 with the Turkish national team dominating the game.
The third quarter started with aggressive offences from both teams.
With 5 minutes left in the quarter, Houston Rockets' Turkish star Alperen Şengün was fouled for a basket foul, and the "12 Giant Men" regained the lead against Germany.
Turkey increased the difference to 6 points with Cedi Osman's three-pointer, bringing the score to 61-55.
One minute before the end of the third quarter, Germany, the top scorer of the tournament with 101 points, brought the score to 63-65 with consecutive points, but the "12 Giant Men" tied the score again with a basket by Adem Bona, a Turkish power forward of Nigerian origin.
The quarter ended with a 67-66 lead for the Red-Whites.
The fourth quarter of the game, which was marked by Cedi Osman's three-pointers, also started fast.
The last quarter, which was marked by Shane Larkin's double-double performance, was very competitive— and with 3:48 left in the game, Turkey entered the final quarter with a 76-74 lead.
However, Bonga's three-pointer put Germany ahead and brought the score to 77-76
Two minutes before the end of the game, Turkey reached an 81-79 lead against Germany with Shane Larkin's free throws.
In the last seconds of the game, Germany took the upper hand in play and attained victory over Turkey with a decisive 88-83 score.