Michael Devoe stepped up to spark the home team in the second half
Turk Telekom keeps rolling as strong second half seals win over Panionios
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 6 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Turk Telekom AnkaraTTA
9567
Panionios Cosmorama Travel AthensPAN
group b
Overview
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Turk Telekom shows no signs of slowing down after defeating Panionios Cosmoroma Travel Athens 95-67 on Tuesday in front of their home crowd. Riding the wind of a winning streak, the Ankara side keeps rolling with confidence.
It all began with that turning point in Round 3, and the blue-and-whites have carried that momentum through three straight wins. Sharper defense, settled backcourt dynamics, and Michael Devoe’s growing impact have helped Telekom find its flow.
Coming off an early-season injury, Devoe has been key in the backcourt rotation.
"I think it’s our team chemistry. We all are really getting along with each other. We are just keeping building, game by game," Devoe said.
That chemistry showed up in the second half, with Devoe and Jaleen Smith standing out. Smith shook off Telekom’s first-half struggles from deep and made 6 of 10 three-pointers to finish with 20 points and 5 rebounds. Devoe ran the backcourt with poise, adding 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, feeding teammates and keeping the momentum firmly with the hosts.
After a balanced start, with both teams trading easy buckets in the first quarter, Turk Telekom turned up the intensity on defense in the second and carried a 7-point lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw a transformed Telekom step onto the court. Sharing the ball effortlessly and fixing earlier struggles from deep, Kyle Alexander dominated inside as Telekom took control of the paint. The lead quickly stretched to 30 points, and Telekom never looked back.
"Especially the effort that we gave defensively in the third quarter was the key," Coach Erdem Can explained. "We tried to keep the pace up throughout the game... It’s a very important win for us, but also it’s just one win. We need to continue with the same aggressiveness. It’s a long season, we have a lot of games."
For Panionios, the first quarter showed flashes of promise, particularly through Keron DeShields. The matchup marked the EuroCup debut for both DeShields and Kostas Gontikas, and the Greek side was still searching for rhythm while dealing with injury issues.
DeShields contributed 17 points, while Markel Starks and Giorgos Tsalmpouris added 11 and 10, respectively, keeping Panionios competitive early on. But the second half proved much tougher. Turk Telekom’s aggressive defense forced the Greek side into struggles, with Panionios managing just 9 points in the third quarter and never finding a way back into the game.
Coach Ilias Zouros, in only his second EuroCup game as the team's head coach, reflected on the challenges his team faced.
"We had two new players in the team. They just arrived yesterday. The biggest problem for our team was we didn’t play together. This is my biggest complaint about the game of today. In the third quarter and the fourth quarter, we didn’t play as a team, we played as individuals, and this is wrong. Anyway, this game is over for us. We have to think about the next game."
In Round 7, Turk Telekom will look to carry its momentum on the road against Lietkabelis Panevezys. Panionios Athens, meanwhile, will aim for its second win of the season when it faces the London Lions.
