JL Bourg experienced a significant setback in the Eurocup semi-finals, succumbing to a heavy 71-99 defeat against Turk Telekom in Game 1. This loss comes despite Bourg having secured two victories against the Turkish side during the regular season. As captain Kevin Kokila had warned, “the regular season and the playoffs are not the same basketball,” a reality the team unfortunately confirmed in this crucial match on Tuesday.
The French team struggled particularly from long range, converting only 6 of 24 three-point attempts. Despite these difficulties, Adam Mokoka and Both Gach delivered solid performances, scoring 16 and 15 points respectively. For Turk Telekom, former Parisian Kyle Allman, who was instrumental in their quarter-final win, once again proved decisive, contributing 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
To keep their Eurocup final dreams alive, JL Bourg now faces a must-win situation. They must triumph in Ankara on Friday to force a decisive third game in the best-of-three series and continue their quest for the Eurocup final.
