The two combined for 32 points and 18 rebounds
Turk Telekom’s bigs Alexander and Makoundou overpowered Cedevita
A dominant performance in the paint by Turk Telekom Ankara centers Kyle Alexander and Yoan Makoundou inspired the hosts to a 78-70 home victory over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana on Tuesday. The Turkish side outrebounded the visitors 40-24 with Alexander recording his second double-double of the season by picking up 10 boards and netting a joint game-high 16 points. His fellow big, Makoundou, registered the same scoring tally and downed a season-high 8 rebounds. Between the two, they managed 8 offensive boards – 2 more than the whole Cedevita team.
Alexander went 5-for-7 (71.4%) on two-pointers and 6-for-9 (66.7%) from the free-throw line. He also recorded 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, as well as 8 fouls drawn, for a game-high PIR of 30.
“As a team, we are getting better,” Alexander said in a post-game interview with EuroLeague TV. “Every single game, every single practice, we made a big jump this week. I’m proud of us. We keep fighting away. It’s not perfect, but we keep grinding away.”
Makoundou also nailed 5 of his 7 attempts from inside the arc and drilled 2 three-pointers to finish the game with a PIR of 17. The two Turk Telekom bigs got fans off their seats with some powerful dunks on several occasions. Both posterized Cedevita’s 18-year-old center Joan Beringer in the first quarter, with Makoundou slamming home a two-handed put-back dunk, after a missed triple from Olivier Hanlan, to make it 59-56 with 7:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Game Videos
Turk Telekom came into its third game of the season ranking second-top on offensive, as well as top on defensive and total rebounds, with 16.5, 31.0 and 47.5 per game. On Tuesday evening, head coach Erdem Can’s side demonstrated once again that their dominance inside will be key in their bid to build momentum as they grow into the season.
Next week, Turk Telekom travels to France, where it’s scheduled to face Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse on Tuesday. Should they manage to control the boards again, the Turkish side will have laid the foundation for a fourth consecutive victory in what would be a sublime start to the campaign.