Frutti Extra Bursaspor qualified for the EuroCup Playoffs by downing ratiopharm Ulm 74-86 Tuesday thanks to an impressive first-quarter surge.
Bursaspor played a near-perfect first quarter
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Ulm had several players sidelined, including its two main centers, Cristiano Felicio and Philipp Herkenhoff. Coach Dusan Alimpijevic's game plan was based on looking for Kevarrius Hayes, who used his size, experience and athleticism to make the difference in the paint. Bursaspor was physical from the start of the game with dunks by David Dudzinski and Hayes. That was the start of a 3-14 run which Hayes capped with a three-point play.
Bursaspor kept looking for Hayes and Dudzinski who kept shining for the visitors. And when the defense adjusted, Onuralp Bitim stepped up with back-to-back three-pointers. By the time Derek Needham made a buzzer-beating jumper, Bursaspor led 15-32 after 10 minutes.
Bursaspor connected on 10 of 11 two-pointers (90.9%), 3 of 5 three-pointers (60%) and all of its 3 free throws attempts in the opening 10 minutes. It also finished the first quarter with 3 blocks, 8 defensive rebounds, 7 assists and just one turnover. At that point, Bursaspor had a team PIR of 48 compared to Ulm's 5.
Ulm trailed the rest of the night after that. Hayes had 11 of his 25 points in the first quarter and added 11 rebounds for a double-double and 6 blocks for the 2021-22 EuroCup-high by any player. And Bursaspor cruised to a big win, its fourth in a row, to open the door to the knock-out stage.