A balanced attack led Slovenia to a 66-51 victory over Turkey in Group F of the 2007 EuroBasket and helped the Slovenians remain undefeated at 3-0 in Spain.

Uros Slokar provided a huge spark off the bench with 12 points in 19 minutes as Slovenia went on a 21-1 surge spanning the third and fourth quarters for a comfortable victory.

Radoslav Nesterovic led Slovenia with 13 points while Goran Dragic added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists and Jaka Lakovic chipped in five points, seven rebounds and three assists.

"In the first half, both teams made a lot of mistakes. In the second half we stepped on it and started to play better defense. Congratulations to my players. The next games are Germany and Lithuania and we can play with less pressure," said Slovenia coach Ales Pipan.

"I guess we've given something to the people back home in Slovenia to party about tonight."

"It’s not really about my three-point shots. I think without the defense on their main guys we wouldn’t have done that. I was just lucky that I was there at the right time and I made them and it helped my team," said the game-winner Slokar.

"I just stepped up and hit the three-pointers, but most importantly, that allowed us to get back into some rhythm. And it all started working again."

		Okur had a night to forget going 5 for 16 from the field

The Turks dropped to 0-3 in the group despite 17 points from Hidayet Turkoglu and 14 from Mehmet Okur. But Bogdan Tanjevic's side made just four-of-25 three-pointers (16%) and nine-of-16 foul shots.

"They played better than us and won. We have to just look forward, put this loss behind us and win as much as we can," said Turkoglu, who also grabbed eight rebounds.

"It was a good game, a close game, but Slokar came off the bench and made some big three-pointers and it changed the whole game."

Neither team really could stamp their authority on the game in the first quarter, which ended with Slovenia ahead 20-15.

Their lead was up to 10 points, 27-17, on Slokar's free-throw midway through the second quarter. But Turkey finally turned up their game and reeled off a 12-4 run to close the first half to trail by just two, 31-29, at the break

Turkoglu evened things up at 33-33 with a breakaway dunk in the early stages of the third period and Bogdan Tanjevic's troops soon found themselves ahead 39-36.

But Slokar gave the Slovenians a spark off the bench, dishing out an assist, hitting two three-pointers and grabbing an offensive rebound as Ales Pipan's men went on a 10-0 spurt and led 46-40 after three periods.

They continued their push in the fourth quarter, going on an 11-0 run to take a 57-40 lead with just over four minutes left. All told, Slovenia outscored Turkey 21-1 over the late third quarter and the start of the final frame and didn't allow their opponents to score in the period until Turkoglu's free-throw with 4:08 remaining.

The NBA star did score six straight points and Engin Atsur drained a three-pointer to trim the margin to 59-49. But Turkey would get no closer the rest of the way.

Turkey are all but eliminated and face Italy on Monday. The Slovenians can move to 4-0 in Group F when they take on Germany later Monday in Madrid.

Turkey

Guard Hidayet Turkoglu: "This is a tough result. They played better than us and won. We have to just look forward, put this loss behind us and win as much as we can."

"It was a good game, a close game, but Slokar came off the bench and made some big three-pointers and it changed the whole game."

Coach Bogdan Tanjevic: "The better team won the game, easier than expected. The team was fighting and did a good job on defense, but that wasn't enough considering our offensive game."

"At some point we collapsed. At some point Uros Slokar hit a big three pointer using a mistake on our defense, it was a very difficult moment for us. Before that three-pointer it was a good fight and we had a chance to fight until the end, but after that it was more or less over."

"We need to win the next two games to keep our chances to make it to the quarter-finals. Italy gave a big fight to one of the best teams in the tournament, so it will be difficult for us too to beat them."

Slovenia

Center Uros Slokar: “It was a nice game. Turkey’s team is always very unfriendly towards our game because everytime we played them in our last games against them they won because they play a game that is not familiar with our game.Today we got the rhythm of  the whole game. At the end of the day we won that was the most important things."

“It’s not really about my 3-point shots. I think without the defense on their main guys we wouldn’t have done that. I was just lucky that I was there at the right time and I made them and it helped my team.”

Coach Ales Pipan: "It was a very tough game for us, and a very important win. It seems that we're in the quarter-finals, so we can be proud and happy now. In the first half both teams made a lot of mistakes. In the second half we stepped up and started to play better defense. Congratulations to my players. In the next games against Germany and Lithuania, we can play with less pressure."

Teams heading in different directions meet head-on when Turkey take on Slovenia at Madrid’s Telefonica Arena tonight.

Twelve months on from a surprising run to the quarter-finals at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, Turkey were beaten twice by Croatia in the Efes Pilsen World Cup preparation tournament and then promptly lost consecutive games to Lithuania and Germany in EuroBasket’s Group C in Palma.

		Okur must be at his best for Turkey to trouble Slovenia

Thankfully, Bogdan Tanjevic’s team still had the Czech Republic on their schedule and they dismissed them in order to reach the qualifying round in the Spanish capital.

Slovenia, who failed to advance beyond the group stages in Japan last year, have won three consecutive games in the competition, beating Italy, Poland and France.

Last Time Out: Slovenia squeezed past France 67-66 while Turkey defeated the Czech Republic 80-72.

Key Match-up: Mehmet Okur v Radoslav Nesterovic. Okur is coming off an all-star season with the Utah Jazz. After a nightmare five-point game effort in a blowout loss to Germany, he finally got back on the right track with a double-double of 16 points and 10 boards against the Czechs. Nesterovic, a journeyman NBA center who is currently part of the Toronto Raptors’ international brigade, was important in Slovenia’s first two wins but when he got ejected in the third quarter of their triumph over France, Slovenia actually played better and came back from double-digit deficits to win.

Key Stat: Hidayet Turkoglu is averaging better than 18 points a game for Turkey but the team is pouring an average of just 66 – third worst at the EuroBasket.

X-Factor: Turkey’s Ersan Ilyasova erupted for a big game against Australia last year and is due for a big game.

Speaking Out: “Our players have been putting their hearts on the court, so I’m really satisfied so far” – Ales Pipan, Slovenia coach.