Ankara, Wednesday 14 January — The London Lions suffered an 88–63 loss to Türk Telekom in Ankara as a tightly contested first half gave way to a decisive third-quarter swing.

Shorthanded and without any available bigs, the Lions competed well early and even held the lead late in the second quarter, but Telekom’s size, shooting, and physicality took over after the break.

Lions head coach Tautvydas Sabonis pointed to the shift in intensity.

“Türk Telekom came out with more energy and more physicality and we weren’t ready for it.”

London was led by Ciaran Sandy, the only Lion in double figures with 12 points, while the Lions continued to battle through limited rotations and mismatches inside.

For Türk Telekom, Uroš Trifunović led the scoring with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three, while Marko Simonović controlled the glass with 13 rebounds to go along with six points. Doğuş Özdemiroğlu orchestrated the offense efficiently, finishing with nine points and seven assists in under 17 minutes as Telekom dictated tempo in the second half.

Despite facing early full-court pressure, the Lions settled into the game defensively in the opening quarter. Deane Williams opened London’s scoring with a putback, while hustle plays from Shavar Reynolds Jr. led to an open corner three for Karolis Lukošiūnas.

London briefly took the lead through pick-and-roll execution from Tarik Phillip, but Telekom responded inside to edge ahead 14–11 after a low-scoring first period.

The second quarter marked London’s best stretch of the night.

Strong defensive activity from Ciaran Sandy sparked transition opportunities, and Reynolds drilled a three to tie the game. Deane Williams hit a step-back fadeaway to give the Lions the lead. Sandy continued to score within the flow, and a triple from Aaryn Rai pushed London ahead by eight during a 17–4 run.

Telekom struggled from the perimeter early, starting 0-for-9 from deep, but late transition baskets and corner threes trimmed the margin before halftime. London carried a narrow 32–30 lead into the break — exactly the tempo the Lions were aiming for.

That control disappeared quickly after halftime.

Türk Telekom opened the third quarter with back-to-back threes and a 13–1 run, flipping the game’s momentum. Telekom’s guards pushed pace, attacked mismatches, and punished rotations, while London struggled to generate clean looks against increasing physicality.

Despite finishes from Deane Williams and Chaundee Brown Jr.’s first Lions basket on an and-one drive, Telekom continued to stretch the floor and dominate inside. Kyle Allman hit consecutive jumpers late in the period as the hosts exploded for a 30-point third quarter, opening a commanding 60–42 advantage.

The fourth quarter saw Telekom continue to exploit their size advantage, including interior finishes and a rare three from their seven-foot center. Sandy converted an and-one, while Brown and Nigel Hawkins added late baskets, but the deficit remained out of reach as the hosts closed comfortably.

Türk Telekom head coach Erdem Can credited his group’s response after halftime.

“Our attitude, the way we approached the game changed. It was not acceptable offensively and defensively what we were doing. Guys picked their minds up, so we changed our approach to the game.”

With the loss, the Lions continue to face pressure in the EuroCup playoff race, falling to 5-9, two spots out of the playoff picture in eighth, as they navigate injuries and evolving rotations.

Next up, the Lions return to Super League Basketball action on Sunday, travelling to face the Sheffield Sharks at 4:00 PM.