Strong defense powers the hosts to the victory
Turk Telekom finds rhythm, holds off Buducnost 79-72 for first EuroCup W
Отчеты о матчах
3 Минутное чтение
Regular Season
Round 3 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Turk Telekom AnkaraTTA
7972
Buducnost VOLI PodgoricaBUD
group b
Overview
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Turk Telekom Ankara had been chasing the kind of night where everything clicked on the court. Back in front of their home crowd, the blue-and-whites broke through for their first BKT EuroCup win of the season, defeating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 79-72.
Kyle Allman emerged as one of the catalysts for Turk Telekom’s breakthrough night. The American guard brought energy on both ends, finishing with 16 points and 4 assists through his hustle, defense, and timely scoring. He attacked the rim with intent, repeatedly breaking through defenders and putting pressure on Buducnost’s interior defense. Even when Turk Telekom’s outside shooting struggled, Allman stepped up with a crucial triple that shifted the momentum back in his team’s favor. With sharp jabs, hesitation moves, and strong finishes, he delivered the spark Turk Telekom’s backcourt had been looking for.
After the game, Allman reflected on the team’s slow start to the season: "It’s been a long road. We started out slow in both leagues, the Turkish league and EuroCup. I think it’s kinda been low energy and we always tried to pick it up in practice and pick it up when we’re around each other. This is the way we need to play, and I think when we look forward, we need to look at this game. And this is how we need to start the games and be able to push to end games."
The blue-and-whites shared the ball exceptionally well in the first half, with all 10 players who got game time contributing to the score from the opening quarter. Even after a 14‑0 run, Turk Telekom went into the break just ahead at 43‑42, with Buducnost’s hot outside shooting keeping the game close.
Another standout for Turk Telekom was Marko Simonovic, who had signaled a strong season in Round 2 out with a PIR of 33 and followed it up with a PIR of 15 against Buducnost. In a game where the team struggled from beyond the arc, Simonovic’s 2 key triples provided crucial scoring. Kyle Alexander also made an impact in his first minutes of the season, combining with Marko Simonovic, who finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds to make a difference around the rim. Alexander added 10 points and 7 rebounds of his own, helping Turk Telekom control the paint.
The key factor behind Turk Telekom’s win was its defense. Head coach Erdem Can, who also guided the team to the 2022‑23 EuroCup final, highlighted the importance of containing their opponents in the post-game press conference, saying: "Lately we were not playing great basketball, but some periods in the game we were playing really decisive, and the problem was our consistency throughout 40 minutes. We opened the first quarter very good and then we were not smart in the second quarter, making easy mistakes. But overall, we just received 30 points in the second half and that was the key to the game."
With the win, Turk Telekom claimed its sixth straight victory over Buducnost, a matchup that has gone their way every time since 2022. Turk Telekom will look to ride that wave of momentum into Round 4, when it faces Dolomiti Energia on the road in Trento.
