By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Several 7DAYS EuroCup teams have proved to be so powerful at home that it’s hard for even the strongest favorites to compete in their arenas. Such is the case of Turk Telekom, one of four EuroCup teams to have won all their home games as of Round 12.
As it happens, the other three undefeated home teams – Joventut Badalona (10-2), Partizan NIS Belgrade (8-4) and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (8-4) – are all in Group A, too. Turk Telekom has taken down Lokomotiv and Partizan among its perfect 5-0 run in Ankara and welcomes Joventut there on Wednesday.
Unlike its dominance at home, however, Turk Telekom’s road games are a completely different story. The last of its six road defeats took place in Round 12, with Slask Wroclaw (2-9) taking an easy 80-67 victory. With the exception of a Round 7 win at Dolomiti Energia Trento, Turk Telekom has gone fruitless in its travels, which explains why a perfect home team is currently tied for sixth place with a 6-6 record.
Amid its struggles to win on the road, the Turkish side also underwent a change of head coaches, with Henrik Rodl taking the reins from Burak Goren in mid-December, which no doubt added to its difficulties outside of Ankara. Fortunately, Turk Telekom will be home for four of its last six games, anticipating visits from MoraBanc Andorra, Trento and Hamburg Towers after this week’s game with Joventut.
But more than just merely playing at home in at Ankara Spor Salonu, the most decisive factor in whether Turk Telekom wins or loses so far this season has been how the team has played in any game’s first 10 minutes.
The revamped EuroCup standing, which show how teams fare when ahead or behind after each quarter, tell a noteworthy story when it comes to the dynamic of the team. As highlighted in the chart, Turk Telekom is 6-0 when it has gained the lead after the first quarter but has suffered just as many defeats when behind after those opening 10 minutes.
| Opponent | W/L | First Q result |
| vs. Boulogne Metropolitans 92 | W | 24-22 |
| at Partizan NIS Belgrade | L | 21-12 |
| vs. Slask Wroclaw | W | 24-15 |
| at Joventut Badalona | L | 23-13 |
| vs. Lokomotiv Kuban | W | 24-17 |
| at MoraBanc Andorra | L | 29-18 |
| at Dolomiti Energia Trento | W | 15-17 |
| vs. Lietkabelis Panavezys | W | 20-15 |
| at Hamburg Towers | L | 27-14 |
| at Boulogne Metropolitans 92 | L | 23-22 |
| vs. Partizan NIS Belgrade | W | 21-18 |
| at Slask Wroclaw | L | 26-11 |
Though in many games the difference is small, as little as a single point, having the upper hand – or not – at the end of the first quarter has proved to be decisive for Turk Telekom. Its singular road win, at Trento, came with a two-point lead after 10 minutes, as well. Joining Coach Rodl’s squad, Joventut and Valencia Basket (of Group B) also share 6-0 records when leading after one quarter.
Wednesday’s visit from Joventut, the only EuroCup team to have qualified already for the playoffs, will put the hosts twin indicators of success – home-court advantage and first-quarter leads – to the test. Joventut might have won all games it has led after one quarter, but on two of the six occasions when that wasn’t the case, Spanish side suffered its only two defeats.
If starting fast proves talismanic again for Turk Telekom against the EuroCup’s top team, then from here to the end of the regular season, keep an eye on Ankara when calculating Group A’s race for in the playoffs – and the home-court advantage that comes with finishing fourth or better.