Turk Telekom tops Trento 72-80 

Turk Telekom Ankara recorded consecutive wins for the first time in 2023 by racing past Dolomiti Energia Trento 72-80 on Tuesday night. The victory lifted Turk Telekom to 10-4 and, at least temporarily, into second place in Group B. Trento fell to 2-12 and is ninth place in the group.

Jerian Grant scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in the first half to lead the winners. He also dished 5 assists en route to a personal best PIR of 30. Axel Bouteille added 12 points, Nathan Sestina and Mehmet Yagmur netted 11 and Erkan Yilmaz had 10 for Turk Telekom. Toto Forray and Diego Flaccadori each went for 18 points and 7 assists to pace Trento, Darion Atkins amassed 12 points and 9 rebounds and Andrejs Grazulis also scored 12 in defeat.

Game News

Turk Telekom struggled early and was unable to score in the first 3 minutes as Trento grabbed a 4-0 lead. Grant soon got the visitors back on track as Turk Telekom scored 7 straight points.  Forray came off the bench for 12 points in 3 minutes as the hosts went back ahead, 18-12. Bouteille’s layup drew Turk Telekom within 20-17 after 10 minutes.

The teams traded shots to start the second quarter and Flaccadori helped Trento keep Turk Telekom at bay, 30-24, after a technical foul was called on visiting head coach Erdem Cam. Grant heated up again to rally Turk Telekom and gave his team the lead, 36-37, with a three from the corner. Trento guard Trent Lockett and visiting center Tyrique Jones were both ejected after an altercation between them with 2:26 remaining in the half. Turk Telekom held on for a 40-43 halftime advantage.

Game Videos

Tony Taylor took charge with 5 points in a row to stretch the Turk Telekom lead to 44-53, but Grazulis played a key role in a 6-0 spurt to trim the deficit. Trento got as close as 2 and finished the third quarter down 54-59.

Atkins had the hot hand for Trento and his jumper made it 59-62. Grant dished a pair of assists and buried a shot in the lane to fuel a 0-7 run that gave the visitors a double-digit lead. Trento refused to give in, but was unable to string together enough scores in a row to threaten and Yilmaz's three in the penultimate minute all but put the game on ice.

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-02-07T19:00:00.000Z)

Erdem Can, Turk Telekom: 'It's not easy to talk about basketball today'

### Turk Telekom Ankara head coach Erdem Can:

"It’s not easy to talk about basketball today. We were a little bit nervous, but we tried to represent our country in the best possible way because there are lots of tough things going on over there. Our hearts with them again. Our prayers with them. I hope as many people can survive and we can go back to normal life.

"I would like to thank all of Europe who is coming to support, showing support. It’s really showing great, great power for humanity. I also want to thank the two EuroCup teams that we play, starting from Trento with their hospitality and support. The same for Promitheas, called us and gave their support. Hapoel, same way. Some other teams, same. I would just like to thank the basketball world for their support and again, our prayers are with our people."

### Turk Telekom Ankara guard Jerian Grant:

"It’s always good when you can get a win on the road, so we’ll take this one and try to get better. We need to continue to get wins, try for home court in the playoffs and go from there."

### Dolomiti Energia Trento Emanuele Molin:

"We played a consistent game for 40 minutes. We tried and we gave on the court everything we had. We faced a problem with the ejection of Trent \[Lockett\], so the roster was already in trouble and it was more. But at the end, I think we played a pretty good game."

Slask Wroclaw has announced the arrival of Vasa Pusica on a deal until the end of the season, which includes an option for the club to extend the guard's contract for a further year. Pusica (1.96 meters, 27 years old) joins from Twarde Pierniki, also of the Polish League, where he averaged 16.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 10 games. He will make his 7DAYS EuroCup if he appears for Slask in the remainder of this season.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">Oficjalnie meldujemy, że nowym graczem Śląska został Vasilije &quot;Vasa&quot; Pušica! 🔥<br><br>Serb podpisał kontrakt do końca sezonu z opcją przedłużenia umowy przez klub o kolejny rok. Witamy we Wrocławiu! 🤝<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DumaMiasta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DumaMiasta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/plkpl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#plkpl</a></p>&mdash; WKS Śląsk Wrocław - koszykówka (@WKS_SlaskBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/WKS_SlaskBasket/status/1623003709276913665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pusica made his professional debut in April 2019 with Partizan NIS Belgrade in his native Serbia, averaging 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 12 Serbian League games, before moving on shortly after to Pesaro of Italy, where he remained for the 2019-20 season. He spent the following campaign with Sassari of Italy, and in 2021-22 he split time between Prienai of Lithuania and Galatasaray of Turkey. Having played for Twarde Pierniki since November 2022, Pusica will now continue his journey in Poland with Slask.

Slask bolsters options with Vasa Pusica signing

Amar Alibegovic, Cedevita: 'We are not giving up'

Let's start with last week's win against Reyer. We needed a win and beat a very good team. Alen Omic had 19 rebounds and that was one of the keys, of course. Alen played a really good game and he also had a really good game when we played in Venice. I think between those two games, he got 40 rebounds, 21 over there and 19 here! But at the same time, I think we really changed the game with our defense. We actually played good defense and put more of our effort and mindset into that, more than just trying to start ourselves from offense. And I think it really showed, and we were able to make some good plays. Of course, we made mistakes, but I think we are a lot more committed on the defensive end, which helped us bring home the win at the end. 

It was important for us to win a close game, too. Like I said, if we keep up with this defensive mentality, even if you go over there and you miss a shot, but you come back and you try and get the ball back right away. You try to get a good stop right away. I think it's definitely like a whole game-changer, mindset-wise. As for Alen, he is a great guy who created a great atmosphere, he is an unselfish player who does the things that we need to win. Like in that game against Reyer, we really needed him to step up on the rebounding end and he was able to do it. He was a big factor in our win last week. 

"If we keep up with this defensive mentality... I think it's definitely like a whole game-changer, mindset-wise."

Our next game, right before the break, is against Prometey in Riga. Right now, Prometey are first in our group. It's definitely very hard for them to play in a different country and a different gym, and they are playing well. I think, if I'm not wrong, they had a slow start, but they have been really picking it up and stringing some wins together. They play at a very high pace, with very high energy. They play well together, and we are going to have to be able to limit our turnovers because they can run very, very well off that. We have to be locked in on defense, on getting back on defense in transition and then in five-on-five.

I know it will be fun to play against DJ Stephens. I guess you've seen his highlights this season; I have never seen anything like that. I feel like every game he has a new highlight and he is definitely a big highlights player. He runs the floor and jumps very well and is probably the most athletic guy in the EuroCup. We have to do a good job coming back in defensive transition and if we do, maybe we can limit some of those plays. But you always have to be aware around him, try to box him out and find him in transition because he's always ready to catch a lob. 

Our team is pretty athletic, too. Matkovic is going to be back soon, so we are hopefully going to start playing at our full potential because I think we've only had one game this season that we played with a full roster. We don't know yet if Zoki \[Zoran Dragic\] is going to play or not. I think if we all play, we can compete with anyone, and it's going to be a big game-changer to have both. Matkovic is an athletic big man and Zoki is very experienced. He can really help us move the ball and find the open player.

EuroCup highlights: Amar Alibegovic, Cedevita

We are not giving up. We've had up and downs all season, injury-wise, but are not making excuses, we know we have to play better. At the same time, hopefully, these guys can come back and give whatever they got. It's not going to be 100%, of course, because they are coming back from injury, but we are not giving up. We are here to fight and are going to fight until the last game. 

Of course, I am following my former team Virtus in the EuroLeague after winning the EuroCup together last season. I always watch Virtus, both in the EuroLeague and in the Italian League. It has been a big part of my career. I am very thankful to the club and the whole organization, and I like the whole atmosphere, so I always watch it.

"Every time we go on the court, we have to come out ready to give all we have and leave it all on the floor."

Right now, we have to take one game at a time, and this week it's Prometey in Kaunas. Any other approach doesn't make any sense. We have to take it game by game, especially with the situation we have where we have to win almost every game, if not every game. So in every game, we have to go ready to fight and try to clinch a spot in the playoffs because we still have a chance.

After this game, there is a three-week break in the EuroCup but we will fight for an official title, the Slovenian Cup. We are leaning towards the end of the season, and this is where you have to be more focused, willing to give 110%, go over your every limit. And like I said, every time we go on the court, we have to come out ready to give all we have and leave it all on the floor. And if you have nothing left, next guy up and the same goes for him. I think if we can bring that mentality from now until the end of the season and make a good push, we have a good chance. I think if we start winning games like we did against Reyer, more people will come. Also, winning brings confidence to the team. The more we win, the more confidence we will have and I think the better we will play!

Prometey Slobozhanske v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-02-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Two of the most exciting teams to watch in Group B will lock horns on Wednesday evening (19:00 CET) when Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv takes on Gran Canaria. Their first meeting was already a thriller in which Gran Canaria won at home 85-83 in Round 5.

In that game, Hapoel erased a 17-point second-quarter deficit to lead by as many as 8 in the fourth. The hosts scored the game’s final 10 points and [J’Covan Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/j-covan-brown/011991/) missed a three to win it at the buzzer. [John Shurna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/john-shurna/006588/) led five Gran Canaria scorers in double figures with 18 points and [Xavier Munford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/xavier-munford/007759/) scored 24 for Hapoel.

Since then, the two teams have been among the best in the competition; Gran Canaria has won seven straight games and Hapoel is unbeaten in five. Coach Danny Franco's side leads the 7DAYS EuroCup in scoring (87.6 ppg.), defensive rebounds (29.7 drpg.), assists (21.2 apg.) and PIR (105.3) while keeping opponents to the second-lowest PIR (79.4) and the second-lowest two-point shooting success rate (48.8%).

Gran Canaria is second in the EuroCup in assists (20.7 apg.) and third in scoring (85.9 ppg.), two-point shooting (58.5%) PIR (97.2), while allowing the fewest rebounds (30.8 rpg.) and offensive rebounds (7.4 orpg.).

Plug in all the numbers and what we might find is that despite all the stars on the perimeter, such as Brown, Munford and [Jordan McRae](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jordan-mcrae/007996/) for the hosts and [A.J. Slaughter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/aj-slaughter/003637/), [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) and [Ferran Bassas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ferran-bassas/001607/) for the visitors, the play in the paint could be the decisive factor in this game.

Who will control the rebounds? And can Hapoel slow down Gran Canaria’s bigs? The answers to those questions will be crucial.

The Round 5 contest was Hapoel center [Chinanu Onuaku](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/chinanu-onuaku-/012076/)’s first game with the club and he was limited to just 9:36 minutes on the floor, during which he did not score and committed as many turnovers (3) as rebounds (3). Since then, Onuaku has become a force for Hapoel with blocks in all but one game and three games with double-figures in rebounds. Last week, he earned Round 13 MVP honors after scoring a personal-best 22 points.

Even though Hapoel only got a grand total of 7 rebounds from the center position (3 from Onuaku, 2 from [Chris Horton](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/chris-horton/011988/) and 2 from [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/)), it was able to outrebound Gran Canaria 31-34. At the other end, [Damien Inglis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/damien-inglis/003960/) shined with 14 points and 7 rebounds and [Aleksander Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/aleksander-balcerowski/007553/) produced 8 points, 3 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals.

During its five-game winning streak, Hapoel has enjoyed outstanding play from its bigs, with Hoard averaging 9.4 points on 75% shooting and 5.0 rebounds in 17 minutes per game and Onuaku producing 12.4 points on 60% two-point shooting, 10.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in less than 21 minutes on the floor.

While Inglis has recently alternated outstanding showings with quiet ones, [Khalifa Diop](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/khalifa-diop/008072/) has been worth 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in less than 19 minutes over his last five games and Balcerowski has tallied 10.8 points and 1.2 blocks in 16 minutes.

Could the outcome of this game be as simple as which team’s big men play the best? As coaches like to say, these games are affected by tiny details. On Wednesday night at Hapoel’s Shlomo Group Arena, perhaps it’s wisest to keep an eye on the details in the paint.

The centers could be decisive in Hapoel vs. Gran Canaria

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv v Gran Canaria (2023-02-08T18:00:00.000Z)

Alpha Kaba racing toward EuroCup history

Buducnost big man Alpha Kaba is on pace to break some impressive records that go back almost 20 years.

Alpha Kaba is no stranger to European basketball. He was followed from a really early age by scouts, he was drafted by the NBA, and this season he is on pace to do something unique.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1459987/alpha-kaba-racing-toward-eurocup-history/)

With the Round 14 game Frutti Extra Bursaspor vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse having been suspended following the earthquake in Turkey, some changes have been applied to [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) for this week.

Exceptionally, the number of trades will be increased from three to five in Round 14. Also, players from teams whose games are postponed in any round will get their average score when the round ends. As such, all Bursaspor and Bourg players will be credited with their average scores to date this season.

Fantasy Challenge: Round 14 changes

It is time for Round 14 of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season. This will be the only EuroCup round in February and once the competition resumes in early March, it will run non-stop until a champion is crowned on May 3. For some teams, time may be running out to climb up the standings in the EuroCup. Likewise, for some time is short to rise in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime. Here are some players who can help in the endeavor. These recommendations have been doing well recently and should keep doing so this week. 

Fantasy tips for Round 14: Seeking solid players

It is time for Round 14 of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season. This will be the only EuroCup round in February and once the competition resumes in early March, it will run non-stop until a champion is crowned on May 3. For some teams, time may be running out to climb up the standings in the EuroCup. Likewise, for some time is short to rise in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime. Here are some players who can help in the endeavor. These recommendations have been doing well recently and should keep doing so this week. 

[Chinanu Onuaku, Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/chinanu-onuaku-/012076/) (13.6 credits) – Hapoel is on the rise and so is Onuaku, who comes off his best game so far this season. He had 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a PIR of 35 against Trento. Onuaku has posted a double-digit PIR in each of his last eight games and had a couple of double-doubles. He should keep doing better and better. 

[Tyrone Wallace, Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrone-wallace/011925/) (14.1 credits) – Wallace has been outstanding in the last five games since his return from injury. In those five games, he's averaged 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals for a PIR of 20.6. Wallace can help Paris in many ways, and that gives him extra fantasy value, as he can have a high PIR even on bad shooting nights. 

Chinanu Onuaku, Tyrone Wallace, Bruno Caboclo, Kosta Koufos and Josh Adams are featured in this week's articke.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 14

[Bruno Caboclo, ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) (13.4 credits) – Caboclo comes off an outstanding game against Bursaspor in which he had 33 points on 14-for-17 two-point shooting. Those 14 two-pointers made are a new club record and this season's best mark across the EuroCup. It was just his fourth EuroCup career game, so we are intrigued to see what Caboclo can offer going forward.

[Kosta Koufos, London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kosta-koufos/009766/) (12.8 credits) – The game between London and Hamburg will likely be a high-scoring one since both teams like to play transition offense. Koufos posted 18 points and a PIR of 22 against Hamburg in Round 5 and has been playing well lately, too, getting a PIR of 15 or better in eight of his last nine games. Koufos looks like a solid choice. 

[Josh Adams, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/josh-adams/007872/) (11.9 credits) – Cedevita needs to win right away to rejoin the playoff race and relies on its star backcourt duo of Yogi Ferrell and Adams to make the difference. Adams comes off a good game in a winning effort against Reyer with 16 points, 8 fouls drawn and a PIR of 27. Cedevita needs him against a very physical Prometey squad.

Promitheas Patras v Slask Wroclaw (2023-02-08T17:30:00.000Z)

London Lions v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-02-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-02-08T19:30:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-02-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Germani Brescia v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-02-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2023-02-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-02-07T19:15:00.000Z)

The 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season Round 14 game Frutti Extra Bursaspor vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, which was scheduled to be played on February 8, and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 24 games Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Exchange Milan, which were scheduled to be played on February 9 and 10, respectively, have been suspended following the Turkish government's cancellation of all sports competitions until further notice due to the earthquakes that struck the country on Monday.

 Euroleague Basketball games in Turkey suspended 

The 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season Round 14 game Frutti Extra Bursaspor vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, which was scheduled to be played on February 8, and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 24 games Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, which were scheduled to be played on February 9 and 10, respectively, have been suspended following the Turkish government's cancellation of all sports competitions until further notice due to the earthquakes that struck the country on Monday.

Euroleague Basketball will evaluate with the affected teams the best possible options to reschedule the games based on available dates. Further information will be released as warranted in the coming days.

The Euroleague Basketball family is deeply saddened by the tragedy in Turkey and neighboring countries. We wish to express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected by the ongoing tragedy.