There's something about playing in a final that can make players jittery, and especially when a place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is on the line. Well, in the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Final, Gran Canaria's squad managed to avoid fewer turnovers than Turk Telekom Ankara, which was one of the key factors in the game.

Turnovers battle proved decisive in 2023 EuroCup Final

There's something about playing in a final that can make players jittery, and especially when a place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is on the line. Well, in the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Final, Gran Canaria's squad managed to avoid fewer turnovers than Turk Telekom Ankara, which was one of the key factors in the game.

Gran Canaria came away with a 71-67 victory to become EuroCup champion for the first time, with the Spanish team committing a total of 14 turnovers compared to 19 for Turk Telekom. John Shurna, the EuroCup Final MVP, and Damien Inglis had a team-high 3 turnovers apiece for Gran Canaria, yet Turk Telekom's Jerian Grant was forced into 7 turnovers, a season high and a new record in a EuroCup Final.

Perhaps worse for Grant is the timing of his seventh turnover, as Andrew Albicy picked his pocket before racing the other way and scoring a layup to make it 71-64 with 0:08 left on the clock. The turnovers battle is always key in a final, and Turk Telekom will no doubt make the trip back to Ankara ruing those 5 extra possessions that it lost.

Game News

Game Videos

Gran Canaria v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-05-03T19:00:00.000Z)

In the closing stages of the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Final, it was impossible to miss Gran Canaria guard Andrew Albicy. The 33-year-old was everywhere and, even though the stats won't necessarily tell the whole story, he was key as his team defeated Turk Telekom Ankara.

Albicy stepped up in crunch time as Gran Canaria became EuroCup champion

In the closing stages of the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Final, it was impossible to miss Gran Canaria guard Andrew Albicy. The 33-year-old was everywhere and, even though the stats won't necessarily tell the whole story, he was key as his team defeated Turk Telekom Ankara.

 

Albicy finished the night with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 8 fouls drawn. Yet, in the final 3:12, he made sure that his team got over the line.

Andrew Albicy had 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals as Gran Canaria defeated Turk Telekom Ankara 71-67 to become the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup champion.

Andrew Albicy EuroCup Final highlights

First, he delivered the assist for John Shurna's crucial three-pointer at a point when Turk Telekom had got within 64-62. Next, he grabbed a defensive rebound after a missed triple by Nathan Sestina with 3:01 left on the clock. Although he went 0-for-2 from the line after drawing 2 fouls with 0:15 remaining, he stole the ball from EuroCup MVP Jerian Grant on the following possession before scoring a layup, which effectively put the win on ice, 71-64.

 

Albicy had the chance to add to his points total with 0:01 to go, but he didn’t seem too bothered about another fruitless trip to the line with the score at 71-67, as the job was already done. Gran Canaria is this year's EuroCup champion!

Live Blog: Gran Canaria, Turk Telekom go for EuroCup glory!

After 22 games in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup, we have our champion... Gran Canaria! The Spanish side defeated Turk Telekom Ankara 71-67 in a highly entertaining final at Gran Canaria Arena to lift the first EuroCup title in the club's history.

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Gran Canaria is the new EuroCup champion!

Jaka Lakovic, Gran Canaria: 'This trophy is here to stay forever'

### Jaka Lakovic, Gran Canaria head coach:

"Thank you, fans, because it's them and our players who brought us this trophy to Gran Canaria, and it's here to stay forever. They become legends and this is it, a great night. I'm very happy."

### Andrew Albicy, Gran Canaria guard:

"I want to congratulate Turk Telekom for giving us a good game like this one. Everybody enjoyed this game. We did our job. We fought. We did what we needed to win. I'm just happy for all these fans. Look, the gym is amazing, so I'm just so happy to win my first EuroCup. That's it. I want to enjoy it."

"It's amazing, and I think I don't realize it yet that we won the EuroCup. For me it's like my first victory like this and I want to enjoy it. I signed many years with Gran Canaria for this reason, to give them this trophy. And I fought with \[John Shurna\] and \[Oliver Stevic\] to do it for a long time, and I'm so happy to do it with them. Defense in the second half \[was the key\] because Turk Telekom came back and played amazing, too. They gave us a great game for the final, I think. I wish Turk Telekom good luck for the rest of the season."

### A.J. Slaughter, Gran Canaria

"It's an amazing feeling. I've played five or six years of EuroCup and to finally hoist the trophy, it feels amazing. \[We won\] defensively. We know we had a tough matchup. They have good one-on-one players, good guards. We had to stop those guys, and we stopped them enough tonight to win the game."

### Gran Canaria center Olek Balcerowski:

"I have no words! I am so excited that I cried with Khalifa \[Diop\] earlier on. We have been playing together for many years and we would surely have not made it, not him, not me, without we were not together all the time. I am very happy for him, and he is very happy for me. This is the biggest win of my career, of my life, and I did it at home, with Gran Canaria. I carry these people in my heart: players, coaches, staff. I grew up here, I am 'Canario', that means the world to me." 

### Oliver Stevic, Gran Canaria center

"It's amazing, after so many years, after playing a couple of semifinals, we wanted this night to happen, to have the possibility to play in the final, and what we accomplished tonight is just amazing. I think that we were ready from the first minute, from the first second. The confidence we had was amazing, and I think that it was it was much easier to play after we hit a couple of great shots at the beginning of the game."

### Gran Canaria guard Vitor Benite:

"Look at the atmosphere, it's amazing! In our tough moments, our fans kept us in the game. That's sport, where you have such coa nnection between a team and its fans, things are easier, and we have to enjoy this. The lead we built in the opening minutes gave us a little bit of oxygen to stay ahead. I would say that the mental strength we had to do what we had to do down the stretch was the key. John {Shurna} and A.J. \[Slaughter\] played a great game and kept us ahead, but the mental aspect was the key." 

### Axel Bouteille, Turk Telekom forward

"They beat us by 20 points in the first half, after two games we played against them. We came back, we fought, we fought really hard to come back. We were here to win, but a couple of decisions, offensively and defensively, and the game was for them. We were really close to winning, but unfortunately it was not for us."

### Michael Eric, Turk Telekom center

"I think \[Gran Canaria\] played a lot better, and obviously home-court advantage does make a big difference. They're a good team, well-coached, and I just wish them congratulations. I've been in that position before. I know what it feels like to try to fight for a cup, but I'm thankful that we got the chance to play against a good team."

Turk Telekom Ankara head coach Erdem Can is set to guide his team in the 7DAYS EuroCup Final against host Gran Canaria on Wednesday wearing a neck brace following an accident inside the team's bus on game day. 

 Telekom's Can to work EuroCup Final with neck brace after accident 

Turk Telekom Ankara head coach Erdem Can is set to guide his team in the 7DAYS EuroCup Final against host Gran Canaria on Wednesday wearing a neck brace following an accident inside the team's bus on game day. The team was riding to its practice in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria this morning in preparation for Wednesday night's winner-take-all final, which starts at 21:00 CET, when the incident occurred. According to statements made by Turk Telekom general manager Onder Kulcebas, the coach was standing to speak with the bus driver when the bus broke suddenly. Can lost balance and hit his head on the windshield, hurting his neck, Kulcebas said.

Can trained his team in a neck brace and then was taken to the hospital on a stretcher for medical attention. Once evaluated, Can left the hospital in a neck brace and intends to be on the sidelines for the game, whose winner will also earn the right to play in next season's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Can, who led Turk Telekom to a 16-5 record and a spot in its first-ever EuroCup Final, was chosen by his peers on the competition's benches as the [2022-23 EuroCup Coach of the Year](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/7days-eurocup-coach-of-the-year-erdem-can-turk-telekom-ankara/).

Telekom's Can to work EuroCup Final with neck brace after accident

...Gran Canaria made it its second EuroCup Final? Gran Canaria first reach the final in 2015, losing against Khimki Moscow Region.

...Gran Canaria is 12-0 at home this season. It has already set a new club record for most home victories in a European competition.

...Gran Canaria has a chance to be the fifth Spanish team to win the EuroCup. Valencia Basket lifted the trophy four times in 2003, 2010, 2019 and 2021. Real Madrid (2007), Joventut Badalona (2008) and Unicaja Malaga (2017) also lifted the trophy.

...head coach Jaka Lakovic won the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as a player? Lakovic helped FC Barcelona lift the EuroLeague trophy in 2010.

...Damien Inglis has a chance to win his second EuroCup title? Inglis lifted the trophy with AS Monaco in 2021. As many as 20 other players have won the competition twice, and only one of them lifted the trophy three times: Rafa Martinez (Valencia 2010, 2019, 2021).

...Olek Balcerowski is one of two players to win the EuroCup Rising Star trophy twice? He earned this honor in 2021 and now 2023. His teammate Khalifa Diop was chosen as the 2021-22 Rising Star.

...Nico Brussino is the first Argentinean to win the EuroCup in 20 years! Ale Montecchia, Fabricio Oberto and Fede Kammerichs led Valencia to the original EuroCup title in 2003.

...A.J. Slaughter is the third top scorer in EuroCup history? He amassed 1,402 points and only trails Dubljevic (1,613) and Errick McCollum (1,489).

...Andrew Albicy ranks second all-time in assists? Albicy dished 515 assists, only trailing runaway leader Stefan Markovic (698). Albicy is also fifth in steals at 141).

...Oliver Stevic is fifth all-time in rebounds? Stevic pulled down 503 boards in 112 EuroCup games. Alen Omic is first overall with 888 rebounds.

...Vitor Benite can be the first Brazilian player to win the EuroCup? J.P Batista, who played the 2008 final with Rytas Vilnius, was the closest Brazilian to get the trophy.

Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce that Aleksander Balcerowski of Gran Canaria has been chosen as the 7DAYS EuroCup Rising Star for the 2022-23 season. Voted on by the EuroCup's head coaches, the EuroCup Rising Star Trophy recognizes the most outstanding player in the competition who was younger than 22 years of age on July 1 of the summer before the season started.

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Rising Star: Aleksander Balcerowski, Gran Canaria

Did you know...? Gran Canaria

...Turk Telekom has made it to its first-ever final? Its previous best result in 6 EuroCup seasons was reaching the eighthfinals in 2022, losing agisnt Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

...Turk Telekom could become the third Turkish team to win the competition? Galatasaray Istanbul was the first to lift the trophy in 2016. Darussafaka Istanbul won the 2017-18 EuroCup.

...Micheal Eric has the chance to win a second EuroCup title? He previously lifted the trophy with Darussafaka in 2018.

...Emircan Kosut was also with Darussafaka in 2018 and despite being inscribed, he has not played in any EuroCup until now.

...Erdem Can can become the second Turkish coach to win the competition? Ergin Ataman claimed the EuroCup crown with Galatasaray in 2016.

...Jerian Grant leads the 2022-23 EuroCup in total assists: 130 and counting? The record for most assists in a EuroCup season belongs to Mike Green of Paris Levallois, who dished 147 in the 2014-15 campaign.

...Axel Bouteille is the competition's top scorer? He leads the standings with 374 points. Andrew Goudelock holds the record for most points in a EuroCup season, with UNICS Kazan in the 2013-14 campaign.

...Grant and Bouteille have stepped on court more than any other player this season? Grant has played almost 699 minutes (698:53) and Bouteille is right behind (634:33).

...Grant comes from a huge basketball family. Two of his brother, Jerami and Jerai, play professional basketball. His father is Harvey Grant, who played in the NBA for 11 years. Harvey's twin brother is Horace Grant, a four-time NBA champion with Chicago and Los Angeles Lakers.

...Grant and Bouteille are first and second in total PIR this season? Grant amassed a PIR of 392 and Bouteille is second at 379. Gran Canaria'a highest-ranked player is John Shurna, who is 40th overall (237). Vladimir Golubovic holds the record for the highest PIR in a season, 533, with Aykon TED Ankara Kolejliler in the 2013-14 campaign.

The MVP for the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season is Jerian Grant of Turk Telekom Ankara. Euroleague Basketball congratulates Grant on the award, which was voted on by a combination of the competition's head coaches, team captains, fans and media.

2022-23 All-EuroCup First Team: Jerian Grant, Turk Telekom Ankara

Did you know...? Turk Telekom Ankara

EuroCup Final Gran Canaria Turk Telekom Erdem Can Erkan Yilmaz Semih Erden

 Erdem Can, Turk Telekom: 'I just wish we can make our people smile a little' 

### Erdem Can, Turk Telekom head coach

"I feel really honored \[being chosen EuroCup Coach of the Year\]. But as I said before, this is nothing to do with me. This is all about my team, my players, my organization. Every single member of my organization provides that energy, that support. And at end of the day, this is the team's success, not mine. This is just to appreciate my team's effort in a different way.

"It is not easy to play against Gran Canaria on the road. So we played twice against them and lost twice. Hopefully, we will learn. We will take our lessons from those defeats. And I think we are well prepared and focused enough to play the final. In life, if you want to succeed at something, especially if that has much more meaning than normally people guess then you are much more motivated. And personally, my biggest motivation is to give this cup to honor the people that we lost in this big earthquake, because lots of lives are lost and also lots of people lost their cities. And it affected millions of people in my country in some way. So I just want to, I just wish we can win this cup and make our people smile a little bit. We know how good of a team Gran Canaria is individually. They have great, great potential players, NBA potential players, NBA experienced players, plus they have players who have played together in the last few years. And I know that Gran Canaria until now played two finals. They haven't won any. This is the third final they play at home. They will be very, very careful about this game, so we need to be focused for 40 minutes and ready to match their toughness."

### Semih Erden, Turk Telekom center

"For me, this is a big opportunity to win this championship and I am very excited. I hope we will have a good game tomorrow. It will be very tough, we know that because we played against Gran Canaria twice and know what they did win both games. So, we will prepare this game and I hope we are going to win this time. They play well, like a team, and run a lot. They have a good balance between big guys and perimeter guys. Like I said, they play like a team. We need to stay together and play good defense to stop them. This is the big advantage for us, so we will see tomorrow." 

### Erkan Yilmaz, Turk Telekom forward

"It's been one and a half months since we were here last time. We lost twice against them. We know each other very well. It is going to be a tough game. It's a hard game for us also, on the road, because of the trip, but this is the end, the last 40 minutes. This is the end of the tournament. That's why we need to give all our hearts, all our hustle, all our everything on the court for the last 40 minutes. We will see who's going to be OK in the end. They have been in this tournament for the last 20 years, a lot of years. They have experienced players and a deep rotation. Everywhere, EuroCup and ACB, they play good basketball. One of my former teammates, A.J. Slaughter, is playing with them. They have a deep rotation and experienced players like Benite, like A.J. That's why it will be a good game. We have a defensive plan and an offensive plan. I hope we will put everything on the court and we will handle it the way we need to get on the open court. We have to stop their one-on-ones and open threes. If they get their shooting rhythm, they fire it up and are at their home court, it is hard to stop them."

Erdem Can, Turk Telekom: 'I just wish we can make our people smile a little'

Axel Bouteille, Turk Telekom: 'It's going to be exciting'

Turk Telekom Ankara has reached the 7DAYS EuroCup finals for the first time and scoring ace [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) has been a big reason why. Bouteille leads the 2022-23 EuroCup in total points scored with 374 and counting. He has been very effective from all angles, making 58.7% of his two-point shots, 44.8% from downtown and 88.9% from the line, as well as 4.8 rebounds for a PIR average of 18.0. He was the Semifinals MVP, too, after amassing 16 points and 8 rebounds for a PIR of 22 in his team's road victory over Prometey Slobozhanske. Bouteille knows a win against Gran Canaria would be a dream come true. "For me, it was a big goal of mine this season so, of course, if we win, I'll be very, very happy," Bouteille told [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com). "It will be a great achievement. And for the team too, I think it will be their first time and like they told me, it would be history, but we don't want to stop here."

**Hello, Axel. Congratulations on making it to the EuroCup Finals. You reached this far with a lot of newcomers. How has your EuroCup season been until now?** 

"All the team was new, basically, I think except one player. We were all new: players, coaching staff, etc, and we've been working from the preseason all together, and I think we always stuck together. We go in the same direction and we had a pretty good regular season, and now we keep doing this in the playoffs, so it's nice."

**Your toughest game was against Prometey in the semifinals. What allowed you to win it?** 

"I think they had a way better start than us. We didn't start so good, but after that, we came back in the game. We were up at halftime and I think \[in the\] second half, we fought the whole game and in the end, we won by two. They had the last shots, it was tough, but we managed to win the game, so we are really happy to get this win on the road to secure our spot in the final."

**You lost twice against Gran Canaria this season. Is that something we must consider, or a final is a completely different animal?** 

"I think in both games, they were better than us, especially in the first half. We came back in the second half every time, I think, but it was not enough. So they were better than us in those two games. But like you say, it's a final, it's one game and I think anything can happen and I'm confident in my team."

Axel Bouteille is this season's EuroCup top scorer: 374 points with one more game left!

2022-23 EuroCup highlights: Axel Bouteille, Turk Telekom

**Granca has a deeper roster and uses more players. How much of an impact can that have in the final?** 

"I think this is their style. We both have our style of playing and we both had success like this during the season. They had success, we had success. So I think if both teams are here right now, that means it's been working and I don't think it's bad for us, no. I think it's good and we'll keep on doing this if it's necessary."

**Both teams have many newcomers to the EuroCup final. Is controlling your emotions and excitement a big part of winning?**

"Yeah, for sure. It's going to be exciting. And for sure, it's one game but like I said, with the format of the competition, in the last three games we won, if we had lost, we were at home. It's not a series. It's just one game. Like the eighthfinal, quarterfinal, semifinal was the same, so it's one more game like this. For sure, it's the most important. It's the title game. So I think we get prepared for this with all the three games we just played and it's a final, so we know the winners win the 'chip. And I think I'm pretty confident with my team about the nervous stuff and I think we're in a good position."

**How difficult was it for the team to focus after the big earthquake in Turkiye and to keep winning games like you did?** 

"I remember we played in Italy this day, but I think we use this, too, as motivation: the Turkish guys and the foreign players because I think we saw what happened. We see the faces of the people in our club and we use this as motivation to play for them. Like our coach said in the last game, I think the wins we have been having is for us to remember them because what happened was a really, really difficult situation for the country. So we just play for them, too."

"We know the winners win the 'chip. And I think I'm pretty confident with my team."

**You are going against another great small forward in Nico Brussino. How do you like this matchup?** 

"I played three years in Spain, so I played a lot against him. This year, too, so yes, for sure, I know him. Obviously, everybody knows him. He's a really good player. I think he's really versatile. He can do a lot of stuff on the court and yeah, it's going to be a good matchup. But I think it's going to be a lot more good players in this game, so it's not me against him. It's more about the teams, too, even if it's going to be a good matchup."

**In general, what will be the main keys to beating Gran Canaria?** 

"I think it's going to be the consistency we show during the game. I think in both games we played against them, they had a better first half than us, we had a better second half than them, so it's going to be the team who plays the best for the whole game. That's what I think."

**What would it mean for you, the club and the people in Ankara to win the EuroCup?** 

"For me, it was a big goal of mine this season so, of course, if we win, I'll be very, very happy. It will be a great achievement. And for the team too, I think it will be their first time and like they told me, it would be history, but we don't want to stop here. We really want to win this EuroCup and it will be a big achievement for the club, for Turkiye and for me, for sure. And I'm really looking forward to playing this game."