Erdem Can’s group are now on a five-game winning streak in the EuroCup
Turk Telekom stays red-hot, demonstrates its title credentials at Lietkabelis
Rapport de match
3 Minute de lecture
Regular Season
Round 7 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Lietkabelis PanevezysLIE
74100
Turk Telekom AnkaraTTA
group b
Overview
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After Round 2, things looked pretty bleak at Turk Telekom Ankara. Languishing in Group B with a 0-2 record, it seemed that much of the preseason hype surrounding the team was going to fail to deliver.
That changed in Round 3. The return of Kyle Alexander has coincided with a major uptick in form for Turk Telekom, which is now riding a five-game win streak following a 74-100 win at Lietkabelis Panevezys on Wednesday night. At present, there is no team in the BKT EuroCup that is hotter than Turk Telekom.
With coach Erdem Can stressing the importance of defense after giving up 96 and 88 points, respectively, in the first two rounds of the campaign, Turk Telekom has held its opponents to 77 points or fewer during its run of five straight victories.
The last two rounds, however, have shown that the team’s offense is only getting better, posting what was a season-high 95 points in a 95-67 beatdown of Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens in Round 6 before setting a new season-best mark with a century of points at Lietkabelis.
To find the last time that Turk Telekom poured in 100 points or more, you’ve got to go back to December 14, 2022. That day, the Turkish side – led by Coach Can in his first spell in charge – lit up the London Lions in a 102-74 win. Turk Telekom would go on to reach the EuroCup Final that season, with Can being named the EuroCup Coach of the Year.
There are certainly comparisons that can be made between that team and this current group, with Turk Telekom getting regular contributions this season – and particularly during this recent stretch – from star guards Jaleen Smith and Michael Devoe, towering centers Alexander and Kris Bankston, and forward Jordan Usher. On the road at Lietkabelis, Dogus Ozdemiroglu put in a true captain’s performance with a career-high 19 points and 5 steals.
One thing that will have impressed Coach Can the most about Wednesday’s win in Lithuania was the way in which his team moved the ball, as Turk Telekom had a season-high 31 assists, just one off tying the club’s all-time record in the EuroCup.
“It was a good team performance,” Coach Can told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Everybody was really locked in. We were focused.
“We know how dangerous Lietkabelis is at home, so we prepared ourselves. I want to thank my players, really. Defensively we made some mistakes, but at the end of the day our aggressiveness was good. Offensively we shared the ball well, that was one of the keys. At the end of the day, it’s one game and there’s a long season in front of us.”
In addition to Ozdemiroglu’s 19 points, Usher reached the same total as he netted a double-digit number of points in successive games for the first time this season.
“Coach trusts me to keep playing. I had a good one tonight and I hope to keep it rolling,” he admitted. “It’s different people’s nights on different nights, so I’m glad our team is rolling. Let’s get some more wins.”
Next week will see a mouth-watering clash between the red-hot Turk Telekom and fellow Turkish League side Besiktas GAIN Istanbul, which shares a 5-2 record in Group B. For both teams, it will be a massive test and one that could help neutrals determine which team is the favorite to go all the way this season.
