The Turkish side aiming for five more victories to finish the job from 2023
Turk Telekom another step closer to goal but still a long way to go

Turk Telekom Ankara is exactly where it envisioned itself before the season. But a spot in the quarterfinals is not the final goal. For that, the Turkish team must remain focused after an exciting show in front of its home fans.
Turk Telekom put together a strong performance at both ends of the court in eliminating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 93-73 in the eighthfinals.
“We were so aggressive. This is what we wanted to do. At the end of the day, we gave up 19 offensive rebounds. But we managed our aggressiveness and played the right defense,” Turk Telekom head coach Erdem Can said afterward.
“This is just one game. We need to go step by step. We have a long way to go.”
Turk Telekom has reached this stage before - going all the way to the final in 2023, when it lost 71-67 to Gran Canaria. The club was eliminated in the eighthfinals in both 2022 and last season.
Can and his team have been through a lot this season, losing players to injuries, seeing players leave and having to incorporate new players. But this game showed just how tough the team is.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season but we’ve been resilient and we’ve been focused,” said Kyle Alexander, who has played 18 of the team’s 19 games this season and scored 17 points against Buducnost.
“We’ve had a goal since the beginning of the season so we are just trying to see that through. It’s a team full of fighters.”
Turk Telekom still needs five victories to take the EuroCup crown and become the third Turkish club to win the competition following Galatasaray Istanbul in 2016 and Darussafaka Istanbul in 2018
But Turkish clubs also have tasted bitter defeat since then. Frutti Extra Bursaspor put together a magical journey in 2022 to the final but lost there to Virtus Bologna. Turk Telekom could not get past Gran Canaria a year later. And then last season, Besiktas Istanbul was defeated by JL Bourg-en-Bresse in the semifinals.
Can can be excited about how his team played - sharing the ball excellently with 26 turnovers while also playing tough defense and holding opponents to just 73 points.
Next up is a date with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, a game with special meaning for Alexander and Braian Angola, who both played for Hapoel last season.
“I am excited about the quarters. We have to play the same way as we played tonight: with energy, focus on defense and everything will take care of itself.”