Galatasaray Nef lost a comfortable lead but managed to get the job done, 89-85, versus Igokea without captain Goksenin Koksal at Laktasi Sports Hall.
Trinidadian-American DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell kept his hot streak going early in the 2021-22 season with 31 points behind 4/5 three-pointers and 7/10 two-pointers. In addition, the Basketball Champions League expert recorded five rebounds and four assists in the Regular Season Round 2 fixture.
With the back-and-forth affair keeping things close down the stretch, former Maryland standout Melo Trimble sank four clutch free throws securing the win for the Lions in the only game of the week between two undefeated teams. He ended up with 12 points.
American-born naturalized Bulgarian Dee Bost went for 17 points netting 6/10 field goals in Laktasi, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kerry Blackshear Jr. added 11 points, seven rebounds and four steals as Galatasaray jumped to 2-0 in Group E. The Turkish club, currently 2-1 at the domestic level, will be looking for a 3-0 Champions League start visiting PAOK mateco in an upcoming Monday “Game of the Week” scheduled for October 25.
On the opposite end, Antabia Waller connected six triples firing a team-high 22 points. The loss forced the team coached by Dragan Bajic to 1-1, a few days after upsetting Crvena Zvezda mts and improving to 2-1 in the ABA League. The next BCL game will be on the road against ERA Nymburk on October 26.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League
]]>DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell talked to Eurohoops about his decision to join Galatasaray Nef and the opportunity to win the Basketball Champions League, among other topics including the NBA.
“I like playing in the Basketball Champions League. This is my third season,” he mentioned noting the two previous runs as a member of the Bakken Bears, “I have seen the growth from the beginning until now. I like the way that they handle everything as far as the social media and keeping everyone involved and doing these different ratings and stuff like that. I think they are on the rise and have the potential to be one of the best leagues in the world
“For sure,” he added regarding the chance of winning the BCL title this season as a member of Galatasaray.
Akoon-Purcell, 28, is far from considered a stranger to the competition. This season, he has produced 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per Champions League contest. With his help, the Lions topped Group E of the Regular Season to clinch a direct berth to the Round of 16.
Coming out of Illinois State in 2016, the Trinidadian-American forward made his way to Europe and played in Denmark for the Bears. Besides winning a couple of domestic championships, he logged 18 appearances in the Basketball Champions League. He added two more as a member of the Denmark outlet in the 2020 BCL Qualifiers.
“I knew I had the opportunity to go overseas and I took the opportunity,” he recalled, “I think it turned out good. I learned over the years and know the difference between the countries, the leagues, how things work, how agents work. Early on in my career, I wasn’t really educated and didn’t know how things went. That’s what led me to the different places I played early on.”
Other European stops featured Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel and Le Portel in France. The last couple of seasons, he stayed in Turkey shifting from Tofas Bursa to Galatasaray during the offseason.
“We had talked about me coming back, but I was also focused on trying to get back to the NBA this summer,” he told Eurohoops painting the picture of his move between Turkish BCL clubs, “By the time I made any decision, Tofas already had its roster and then Gala came into the picture and I decided to come to Gala because I actually do like Turkey.”
“I wanted to be a part of something special, which I thought I can help with. I knew Dee Bost and Melo [Trimble] before coming here. Also, Kerry [Blackshear Jr.] and I grew up in the same neighborhood. So, the roster was one thing,” he added, “Last year, Gala was not that good. They were on the verge of getting relegated. So, I wanted to come here and see if I can help make a difference with what they had going on last season. Of course, finances were something else. I heard the fan base was good. And I get to see that now.”
Making it to the NBA
In 2018-19, Akoon-Purcell appeared in seven NBA games for the Denver Nuggets.
“It was definitely a dream come true,” he mentioned, “The lifestyle of an NBA player is different. It was new to me. It was also a great experience. I got to be around some very cool people and experience some different things I didn’t growing up in my childhood. It was a dream come true and I had a lot of fun being in the NBA.”
Nikola Jokic was among his teammates, a few years before being named NBA MVP.
“I had a great relationship with everybody on the roster. And I still communicate with the majority of them to this day,” said Akoon-Purcell, “Jokic, I knew that someday he would be the NBA, just by being his teammate. He’s a great guy and a great player.”
It has been a crazy ride through multiple European countries, besides enjoying the opportunity to display his talents in the NBA. Returning the world’s best league remains among his priorities.
“I am open to going back to the NBA as long as it is the right situation,” he told Eurohoops.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League
]]>The team of 16 national championships in Turkey, Galatasaray Nef was held to 1-5 and an early exit in its first participation in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season. The second season is a totally different story. The Lions booked their ticket to the Round of 16 with one game left in the Regular Season.
Galata improved to 4-1 in Group E after overpowering PAOK mateco Wednesday. Besides avenging the only BCL loss of the 2021-22 season, the Turkish club was cleared to progress directly to the next round as the winner of the group. The result of the away game versus ERA Nymburk on December 22 will not matter – but will still be do-or-die for the Czech champions looking to make the Play-Ins.
Memnun, 52, took over last January. It proved too late to salvage the previous Champions League campaign but has been responsible for the major sophomore growth. Back in 2014, he guided the women’s department of Galatasaray to the EuroLeague championship, so he is familiar with the path to continental glory.
Among the very few players surviving from the 2020-21 squad was captain Goksenin Koksal. Offseason additions included former Maryland standout Melo Trimble, big man David Kravish, experienced floor general Dee Bost, and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. The remaining players are 24 or younger, including prospect Sadik Emir Kabaca. The Izmir-born power forward has registered 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per appearance resurfacing in the BCL after the 2019-20 stint as a member of Teksut Bandirma.
“This is a new team with many young players. We must keep working and improving every day. We will see what will happen,” commented Memnun.
Akoon-Purcell, 28, is anything but a stranger in the BCL. He previously played for the Bakken Bears and Tofas Bursa in FIBA’s premier European club continental competition, and once again emerges as a key factor of his side’s success. Averaging 21.8 points per game, he ranks second in the scoring table behind Nymburk’s Jerrick Harding. With 20 points and six rebounds versus PAOK, he became the only player combining 20 points with five rebounds twice this season.
“Everything was open before this important game for both teams,” mentioned Memnun regarding the Wednesday’s Regular Season Round 5 fixture, “We knew it was going to be a tough game and they started very well. But we made adjustments in defense and found our rhythm in the offense. I think we played good basketball in some moments, but we can still improve in many areas. We are very happy to directly advance to the Top 16. This gives additional time to improve and prepare for the next round.”
“It was a good team win. We knew how important that game was for us,” added Trimble echoing the Galata play-caller, “We knew this game would put us in the next round. We did not want to go play another game and try to win that game. We wanted to end the round right here.”
The Turkish club heading to the Round of 16 will enter a fresh six-game round-robin double-legged schedule in a four-team group. From there, the top two teams will clinch a berth to the Quarterfinals, the last step before the Final Four.
“It was an amazing atmosphere in a very beautiful stadium with a lot of people,” said visiting head coach Aris Lykogiannis on PAOK competing at Sinan Erdem Dome. The name and history of the Turkish team paired with the famous Istanbul arena can work wonders provided the players keep putting in that extra effort moving deeper in the second BCL campaign.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League
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