Team Europe defeats Team Asia 138-130 at TBL All-Star Ankara

ANKARA

AA Photo

In front of a sell-out crowd of more than 10,000 fans at Ankara Arena Team Europe defeated Team Asia 138-130 in the Turkish Basketball League All-Star Jan. 18.

The game featured 24 players from eight different countries, with teams comprised of the stars of Turkish Basketball League’s (TBL) Europe- and Asia-based clubs.

Carlos Arroyo, who stars for Galatasaray Liv Hospital, registered a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 22 assists. He was voted All-Star MVP by the sports media in attendance.

“I’m very excited and very happy for this opportunity to be in the All-Star game with these great players,” Arroyo said after the game.

Cedi Osman of Anadolu Efes had a team-high 20 points for Team Europe in the win. Semih Erden of Fenerbahçe Ülker led the way for Team Asia with a game-high 24 points.

The afternoon of basketball got underway with the ParaMara 3-point Shooting Competition. Michael Jenkins of Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi, John Shurna, and Renaldas Seibutis—both of Darüşşafaka Doğuş—advanced to the final round, where Jenkins tallied 15 points from beyond the arc to clinch the sharpshooting title.

“I was pretty focused and just wanted to make sure I got off to a good start,” Jenkins said. “I was shooting against a lot of great shooters out there. It is definitely one of the largest and livest All-Star games I’ve been to here in Europe. The fans are interactive and very involved, and engaged.”

In the Sony Xperia Slam-Dunk Contest the TBL’s aerial acrobats awed the fans in attendance. Patric Young of Galatasaray Liv Hospital, Furkan Korkmaz of Anadolu Efes, and Kenny Gabriel of Pınar Karşıyaka advanced out of the preliminary round. Gabriel brought fellow players and fans to their feet with a combination of dunks that included a between-the-legs slam while wearing a Karşıyaka-themed ski mask.

“All-Star Ankara 2015 showcased the world-class players that make the Turkish Basketball League the best league in Europe,” TBL Director Samer Şenbayrak. “This was the best TBL All-Star to date, and I thank all the players and fans who created such an amazing atmosphere.”

After 15 games of TBL action Anadolu Efes (11-4) sits atop the leaderboard, but Darüşşafaka Doğuş and Fenerbahçe Ülker also have 11 wins. Only four points separate first-place Anadolu Efes and eighth place Trabzonspor Medical Park (7-8), which would secure the final playoff spot if the season ended today.

The TBL’s second half gets underway on Jan. 24.