But sixth is not what Kurtoglu and his team-mates have in mind as they await to find out who their opponents will be in the 5th-6th place game as France take on Germany in the day¡¯s other qualification game.

Regardless of who they end up playing, Bogdan Tanjevic's men will want to finish fifth, which would be a fitting end to Turkey's run in the tournament as they have beaten the odds, battled through injuries and come a long way since last year¡¯s European Championship fiasco to be here.

FIBA correspondent Simon Wilkinson talked to Kurtoglu after the thrilling overtime win over Lithuania.

FIBA: You come back from 10 points down with about 2:30 minutes left to play to tie the game and then end up winning quite comfortably. How do you feel after coming from behind to steal this win?

Kurtoglu: It's a great win but I don't think we stole the game. It's a win we deserved because we played very hard since the start of the preparations in early July and basically we've been away from home for about 50 days. But it's all been worth it. To come here and be able to play for fifth place, it really makes it all worth it.

FIBA: Knowing that you're going to finish in the top six is a great result for Turkey in general.

Kurtoglu: This is a great result for Turkish basketball. It's very positive for the future of the sport in our country, especially since we'll be hosting the next FIBA World Championship in 2010. Our young players are gaining a lot of experience and that means they are gaining in confidence. It¡¯s crucial to the growth of the team because when we play the tournament at home, we'll be a better team and we'll be aiming to win a medal.

FIBA: Can you talk about the way you and Ender Arslan played down the stretch? You led the way as Turkey recover from that double-digit deficit to tie the game, send it to overtime and win by 11.

Kurtoglu: Well today it was our turn but I think what got us this far is not the selfish play. This team has a lot of good players who can score 20 points in any game. But the most important thing is not to have one or two guys who do that every night. Otherwise you would have a team with a superstar. On our team everybody is a star because we all play with our heart and it's not important who scores. The thing that counts the most at the end of the day is the result. Nobody is going to say that I beat Lithuania, but they will say that Turkey beat Lithuania. So what matters is not the name on the back of the jersey but the flag on the front. That's what we play for. Serkan Erdogan carried us for much of the tournament. Ersan Ilyasova had some great games. It doesn't really matter who scores as long we win.

FIBA: Is this win even more special because of all the injuries you've had to overcome? Some of the players have had to play hurt and others had to sit out.

Kurtoglu: Oh man it's like a battlefield in our locker room. Everybody is hurt, guys are playing hurt and it shows a lot of heart. Our captain, Ibrahim Kutluay, didn't play today because his ankle is very swollen. Even though he didn't play, he helped us a lot on the sidelines, cheering us on and advising us.

FIBA: This is not the first time in the competition that Turkey has come from behind to win a game. You did it most recently in the eight-finals against Slovenia. Does that show how good you are in the face of adversity and at making late comebacks?

Kurtoglu: It doesn't mean we're good at staging late comebacks but that we have a lot of heart and we don't give up. If you show heart and a lot of competitiveness and you absolutely refuse to lose, that's what you can do. It¡¯s what makes a good team.

FIBA: It's well documented that the Turkish basketball team has been through a lot since last year's EuroBasket. For people who aren't familiar with the team, what can you tell them about it?

Kurtoglu: You can see the real potential of Turkish basketball with this team. It's true that some of the best - if not the best - Turkish players are missing: Mehmet Okur, Hidayet Turkoglu and Mirsad Turkan, who are national treasures in our country. But then you've got the new generation, players born in 1986 or 1987 with Ilyasova and others. Turkish basketball is full of talent.

FIBA: Finishing sixth would be a good result but obviously that's not what you are aiming for.

Kurtoglu: No absolutely not. We want to get that fifth place. That's what we're aiming for. Even if we lose, it will be the best result by a Turkish team in the world championship but we still want to win that game really badly.

FIBA: Finally, did you hear that there was an earthquake at halftime? Did you feel it?

Kurtoglu: Yeah we heard that. Something was shaking and we thought 'is that an earthquake? It can't be!' It just goes to show how well built Japanese buildings are.