Jordan Usher’s energy fuelled the team’s resurgence after a slow start
Turk Telekom continues to turn the corner with convincing win over Trento
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 4 of 18
Regular Season
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Dolomiti Energia TrentoTRE
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Turk Telekom AnkaraTTA
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Overview
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“Man, I love basketball. Period,” exclaimed Jordan Usher on Wednesday night. “There’s nothing I love more than playing with good guys and good coaches. There’s nothing else I’d rather do in the world than play good basketball.”
The American forward’s enthusiasm was easy to understand. Usher was named Player of the Game after helping Turk Telekom Ankara defeat Dolomiti Energia Trento, 60-80. His 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists powered the Turkish outfit to its second straight BKT EuroCup victory, improving its record to 2–2 after a difficult start to the season.
“I’m just happy our team is starting to turn it around,” Usher said. “We had a tough start to our season. Now it’s three wins in a row, and I’m hoping we can keep it going.”
After opening its EuroCup campaign with losses to ratiopharm Ulm and Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Turk Telekom needed a quick reset. A narrow win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica last week restored some confidence, and Erdem Can's side built on that momentum at the BTS Arena on Wednesday night.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing early on. Massimo Cancellieri’s Trento side opened the game on a 9–0 run, forcing Turk Telekom to regroup. It took the visitors nearly three minutes to score their first basket, but once they did, the offense began to click. By halftime, Turk Telekom had flipped the script and built a double-digit lead, eventually cruising to a 20-point win.
Usher’s all-around play stood out, but Turk Telekom's return to form can’t be attributed solely to him. Michael Devoe led the way with 14 points, but they shared the offensive load brilliantly to get the job done as Kyle Allman, Jaleen Smith and Kris Bankston also reached double figures. Turk Telekom dominated the rebounding battle and finished with more assists than Trento, an indicator of its improving chemistry on offense.
“We started without our principles,” admitted Coach Can. “We rushed in the first quarter and weren’t aggressive defensively, but we changed that. The key for us was our defensive aggressiveness. We responded in a great way. At the end of the day, I congratulate our team.”
For Trento, it was another frustrating night. After falling to the London Lions last week, it struggled again to find consistency, dropping to 1–3. Still, Cancellieri saw positives in his team’s performance.
“I can judge what we did for three and a half quarters,” the Italian coach said. “There was some solid basketball against a very good team that handles the ball well and puts pressure on you. This is another lesson, honestly. On one side, the glass is half-full; on the other, it’s half-empty. For me, it’s a step forward, not a step back.”
Despite the optimism, Trento will look to regroup on the road next Tuesday against Panionios Athens. Turk Telekom, meanwhile, will aim to extend its winning streak when it travels to London to face the Lions on Wednesday, October 29.
