By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
This is precisely the time of the season when all teams are looking to make that extra push, change gear to improve their position in the standings and secure a playoff spot. The is when the serious business starts.
It applies to all competitions. In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, for example, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens coach and three-time champion Ergin Ataman characterized this period as the “end of the party” and the beginning of the real deal.
When it comes to the BKT EuroCup, while other teams seem prone to perhaps surprising mishaps (we are looking at you, Valencia Basket), Turk Telekom Ankara looks to be gaining momentum at just the right moment.
Ahead of Round 14, Turk Telekom has jumped to an 8-5 record thanks to four wins over the last four games. The Turkish team hasn’t lost in the competition since November, as the streak began with a 93-98 road win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on December 4.
After that triumph, Turk Telekom also grabbed victories over Aris Midea Thessaloniki (87-77), Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (74-80), and then Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (98-89) last week.
Not only has this run put them even closer to securing a spot in the postseason but it has placed them in legit contention for a potential top-two finish in Group B and secure a direct ticket to the quarterfinals. They are currently 3rd at 8-5 – the same record as second-placed Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – and only Valencia has more wins than them with 11 wins and three defeats.
A 32-point storm in a quarter that was a sign of things to come
If we had to identify a specific turning point for Turk Telekom, that would be the beginning of the fourth quarter at Lietkabelis. The Lithuanian side was up 82-74 with 7:23 minutes remaining, had the crowd on their side and everything was in their favor.
Turk Telekom went on to score 24 points in the last seven minutes of the game to flip the script completely. The more the game progressed, the more confident coach Erdem Can’s players were getting, closing the contest with six unanswered points to get a precious victory.
It was one sizzling stretch for Turk Telekom in the second half that seemed to do the trick, with the visitors scoring 41 points over the last 13 minutes of the game and having a 32-point output in the fourth quarter to grab a much-needed victory.
Three-pointers away
Until December, Turk Telekom wasn’t exactly famed for its offense in the EuroCup. They had averaged a less than adequate 76.4 points per night and the undoubted talent of its roster wasn’t translating onto the floor.
Over the last four games, Turk Telekom has greatly increased its production rate, averaging 90.8 points. The most obvious reason for this is that the players are simply shooting the ball much better.
Indeed, Turk Telekom went from hitting 7.0 of 22.6 threes per game to becoming one of EuroCup’s best shooting teams of late, making 13.3 of 28.5 triples per contest during their spotless stretch. This has made them a considerable force from the perimeter as they consistently made 11 triples or more in each game, which is quite the number. For context, only Valencia, ratiopharm Ulm and Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul drain an average of more than 10.0 three-pointers per night in the competition so far.
Anthony Brown has the hot hand
We can’t be talking about three-pointers without mentioning Anthony Brown, a.k.a. the only player who has hit eight triples in a game this season – doing that twice.
It was in this latest win over Bourg that Brown was a spectacular 8 out of 9 from deep, helping him on his way to 32 points in total to extend his team’s winning streak. “When I woke up this morning, to be honest I had a good feeling about today,” he said after the game.
The usual go-to-guy for Turk Telekom, Brown is definitely playing All-EuroCup First Team-level basketball and arguably making an MVP case with his 18.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
During this recent 4-0 run, Brown has posted 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting an efficient 4.5 out of 7.0 three-pointers per game. He was also the man who hit the go-ahead bucket against Lietkabelis, letting it fly from beyond the arc with 34 seconds remaining to put Turk Telekom 93-95 ahead. He finished the night with 26 points.
Speedy Smith living up to his name
In November, veteran point guard Speedy Smith switched EuroCup clubs, moving to Turk Telekom after beginning the season with Hapoel Jerusalem. The Ankara side had a vacancy on its roster after the departure of Max Heidegger, and the experienced Smith looked like a pretty fit for the squad.
It didn’t take long for Smith to gel with his new teammates and the 31-year-old soon started to provide some key winning contributions to Turk Telekom. He had 10 points on the road win at Lietkbelis and, two weeks later, he delivered his finest game yet with his new team in one of Turk Telekom’s most important wins in the season so far.
Against a Cedevita side that was coming off three straight wins, Smith tallied 14 points and 8 assists to help Turk Telekom escape with the 74-80 triumph. He made a couple of decisive plays in the fourth period with a three-pointer to make it 71-75 and the assist to Kyle Alexander that put their team up 72-77 with two minutes remaining.
Smith had the presence of mind to deliver down the stretch, despite working overtime. He spent a team-high 34:48 minutes on the floor, a sign also of how much Coach Can trusted him to dictate the offense.
And that’s what Smith has been doing, giving an extra oomph that Turk Telekom was perhaps missing before his arrival.
“We need to keep building on this,” Can said after the game.
Will the streak continue against a Valencia team that will be even more dangerous after losing last week to Umana Reyer Venice? Tune in to find out Tuesday night (20:30 CET).