London, Wednesday 28 October 2026 — London Lions strengthened their position in EuroCup Group B with a 79-61 victory over Türk Telekom Ankara at the Copper Box Arena on Wednesday night, moving to 3-2 in the competition after a dominant second-half display.
The sides were level at 39-39 at half-time after a closely contested opening 20 minutes, but the Lions raised their intensity after the break, outscoring the visitors 40-22 in the second half to secure an emphatic home win.
Joel Scott led the way with 21 points and 13 rebounds, recording a double-double to anchor the Lions at both ends of the floor. Tarik Phillip added 15 points and five assists, while Zae Horton contributed 11 points. Devante Jones and Ethan Price also reached double figures with 10 points apiece.
“We started the game well, but they came back in the second quarter and we were a little soft,” said Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis. “At half-time, they understood the message. They levelled up their physicality and energy and executed the game plan to a tee.”
London made an energetic start, with Phillip providing an early spark around the rim as the Lions established a 20-16 lead after the opening quarter.
Jones connected from beyond the arc, while Horton added a difficult shot off the dribble to help the hosts maintain their advantage.
Türk Telekom responded in the second quarter, using their physicality inside to turn the momentum and briefly take the lead.
Ismael Bako proved a threat around the basket, but the Lions continued to find answers through Scott, Phillip and Price.
Scott's finish off a pass from Jones helped London regain the lead late in the half before the visitors levelled the contest at the interval.
The Lions returned from the break with a renewed sense of purpose. Phillip found Scott for a three-pointer before adding a basket of his own, while Jones helped extend the advantage with a floater inside.
Mo Soluade then connected from three-point range to push London ahead 54-45 and force a Türk Telekom timeout.
London continued to dictate the tempo as the quarter progressed, with Horton providing another timely contribution on the offensive end. At the other end, the Lions limited the visitors' scoring opportunities to take a 59-51 lead into the final period.
The hosts carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, with Phillip finding Thomas Kennedy for a lob before Kennedy added another emphatic finish off a pass from Horton.
The sequence extended London's lead and forced another timeout from Türk Telekom as the Lions began to pull clear.
With the defensive intensity maintained, London continued to find quality looks in attack. Jones finished inside before Scott added another basket, helping the Lions stretch the margin beyond 20 points.
Scott drew a charge as the hosts closed out the game comfortably, completing a strong response after the interval.
Phillip highlighted the team's ability to respond to the challenge after half-time.
“We set the tone early, they made a run, coach delivered a message at half-time that we needed to step it up, and we answered.”
The victory moves the Lions to 3-2 in EuroCup Group B as they turn their attention back to domestic competition.
London return to action on Friday, hosting the Sheffield Sharks NCC Hackney.
