Some preparation games are forgotten almost as soon as they end. Others, even without qualification points or medals at stake, reveal something important about a team’s character. Croatia’s clash with Turkey in Hamburg firmly belonged in the second category. Tomislav Mijatović’s team defeated the reigning European runners-up 95–94 to reach the final of the Turkish Airlines Supercup, but the final score tells only part of the story. Croatia spent significant stretches of the game in trouble, fell behind by double digits and struggled to establish the rhythm they wanted before producing an impressive second-half response. At the heart of it all was Mario Hezonja.
Turkey made the stronger start and quickly imposed its offensive rhythm. Malachi Flynn was particularly dangerous from beyond the arc, helping his team build a 29–22 advantage after the opening quarter. Croatia’s problems continued in the second period, when Turkey stretched the lead to 13 points and repeatedly found solutions through its pick-and-roll offense. By halftime, the scoreboard showed 48–39, leaving Croatia within striking distance but clearly in need of adjustments.
Those adjustments arrived after the break. Croatia became more aggressive and disciplined defensively, particularly when defending Turkey’s pick-and-roll actions, and gradually began to change the momentum of the game. Roko Badžim later emphasized that the defensive corrections made at halftime were crucial in allowing Croatia to regain control. Better defensive possessions also brought greater confidence in attack, and a game that had looked firmly in Turkey’s hands suddenly became competitive again.
With two and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter, Croatia were still ten points behind. By the end of the period, however, the deficit had been reduced to just two at 69–67. Badžim contributed an important three-pointer during that run, while Hezonja increasingly began to take command of the offense. He attacked the basket, scored from the perimeter and used his physical strength to put constant pressure on the Turkish defense. By the time the fourth quarter began, it was becoming clear that Croatia’s star forward was ready to take responsibility for the outcome.
Hezonja eventually finished with an outstanding 37 points, six rebounds and four assists, shooting 11-for-17 from the field. His performance went far beyond the numbers, because many of his points came precisely when Croatia needed them most. After completing the comeback, Mijatović’s team even moved five points ahead, but Turkey responded through Flynn, Ömer Faruk Yurtseven and Cedi Osman and ensured that the game would be decided in the closing seconds.
The drama intensified when Yurtseven hit a three-pointer to give Turkey a 94–89 lead late in the fourth quarter. With little time remaining, a five-point deficit appeared extremely difficult to overcome, but Croatia refused to surrender. Dario Šarić immediately restored hope with a three-pointer for 94–92. Then, after Hezonja was called for an offensive foul, Šarić produced one of the decisive plays of the night by stealing the ball and giving Croatia one final opportunity.
There was little doubt about who would take the decisive shot. The ball found Hezonja and, with four seconds left on the clock, he rose from beyond the arc and buried the three-pointer for a 95–94 Croatian lead. Turkey called timeout and created one final opportunity for Flynn, but his attempt from three-point range missed the target. Croatia had completed a remarkable comeback and secured its place in the Supercup final.
Šarić finished the game with 16 points and six rebounds, while Karlo Matković added 12. Yet Šarić’s contribution in the final moments was worth far more than the box score alone suggests. His late three-pointer kept Croatia alive, and the subsequent steal made Hezonja’s winning shot possible. It was a finish that perfectly illustrated why victories of this kind are rarely built around only one player, even when one individual produces a spectacular performance.
More importantly, the win offered Croatia valuable evidence of its ability to react when a game begins to move in the wrong direction. This was not a comfortable victory built on 40 minutes of dominant basketball. Croatia had to recover from defensive problems, a double-digit deficit and another five-point hole in the closing stages. The team found solutions during the game, adapted its defensive approach and showed the composure necessary to execute under pressure.
The timing of the performance also gave the result additional significance. The tournament in Hamburg formed part of Croatia’s preparations for the next stage of the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying campaign, with matches against Latvia and the Netherlands waiting after the Supercup. Facing a team of Turkey’s quality therefore offered exactly the kind of high-level test Croatia needed before returning to competitive action.
Naturally, Hezonja will take most of the headlines. When a player scores 37 points and decides the game with a three-pointer four seconds from the end, the spotlight inevitably belongs to him. Yet the broader message from Hamburg may be even more encouraging for Croatia. Hezonja showed that he can carry the offensive burden in decisive moments, Šarić demonstrated his ability to influence a game in several different ways, Badžim and Matković provided important contributions, and the coaching staff successfully adjusted the team’s defensive approach when the original plan was not working.
Great teams do not always win because everything goes according to plan. Sometimes the most revealing victories are those in which a team is forced to adapt, suffer and find a way through difficult moments. Against the European runners-up, Croatia did exactly that. And when the game finally came down to one possession, Mario Hezonja took the responsibility and delivered the final, decisive blow.
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