BOURG-EN-BRESSE — Türk Telekom defeated JL Bourg 71-99 in the first game of the EuroCup semifinals, powered by Kyle Allman's complete performance of 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The victory gives the Turkish team a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three BKT EuroCup series.
The EuroCup semifinal began with Türk Telekom extremely aggressive from the opening tip. The Turkish team imposed a very high pace on offense and quickly punished every JL Bourg mistake, opening a commanding lead in the opening minutes. The margin continued to grow throughout the first quarter, reaching 19 points with the score at 13-32 at the end of the period.
Türk Telekom's dominance continued in the second quarter. The visiting team maintained its offensive efficiency and continued to extend the lead thanks to its ball movement and depth of rotation. With Kyle Allman leading the offense and multiple players contributing on the scoring end, Türk Telekom reached halftime with a commanding 26-54 advantage in this EuroCup semifinal.
After the break, the Turkish team maintained absolute control of the game. Türk Telekom continued to punish JL Bourg and extended the margin to 32 points during the third quarter, essentially putting the game away. With the score at 53-77 at the end of the third period, the visiting team had the victory well in hand.
In the fourth quarter, Türk Telekom slightly reduced the pace of play but always maintained control of the scoreboard. JL Bourg attempted to cut into the deficit at times, though never threatened the visiting team's victory. As the minutes ticked away, the Turkish team managed its large lead and closed out the game with a dominant 71-99 victory in this EuroCup semifinal.
On the individual side, Kyle Allman was the standout for Türk Telekom with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Uros Trifunovic contributed 15 points, Kyle Alexander added 13 points and 5 rebounds, Marko Simonovic scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and Kris Bankston added 11 points and 7 rebounds. For JL Bourg, Adam Mokoka led the way with 16 points, Both Gach contributed 15 points and 4 rebounds and Darius McGhee finished with 11 points and 4 assists.
With this victory in the EuroCup semifinal, Türk Telekom takes the series advantage and leads 1-0 in the matchup.
Game 2 will be played on Friday, April 3 in Ankara, where Türk Telekom will have the opportunity to close out the series in front of its home crowd and secure a spot in the EuroCup final.