Gaziantep dethrone Sodertalje Kings with 42-point beating

SODERTALJE (FIBA Europe Cup) - The Sodertalje Kings resurgence in the FIBA Europe Cup ended as quickly as it began, with their Group K rivals Gaziantep taking no prisoners in handing the Swedish club a 93-51 defeat at the Taljehallen on Tuesday.

After picking up a win against Mures last week, Sodertalje had re-inserted themselves into the Round of 16 picture, but the loss to the Turkish side extinguished their qualification hopes.

Turning Point: There was none as Gaziantep jumped out to a 15-0 lead and never looked back, proving they are a vastly superior team at this point in time.

Game Hero: After resting in Davon Jefferson’s shadow since the big man’s arrival to Gaziantep, Marcus Denmon reminded the league about his talents with a 19-point game, going 3-of-6 from deep and finishing the contest with the plus-minus indicator at a game-high +37.

Stats Don't Lie: The 42-point win by the Turkish side was the biggest margin of victory in the Second Round, surpassing the previous high set by Telekom Baskets in a 96-58 triumph against APOEL in Bonn earlier in the season.

The Bottom Line: After a big loss to Elan Chalon last week, Gaziantep got the bounce-back it needed in Sweden, not only improving to a 3-1 record, but also securing at least second place in the group. They also significantly improved their previously mediocre point differential, which could prove to be a game-changing factor in deciding which of the second-placed teams advance to the next stage.

They said: "We came out aggressive and kept the tempo. They are a dangerous team and they play well at home. We found our rhythm and kept it up all the game. They have a great system, but we stuck to the plan." - Andrew Rautins, Gaziantep.

FIBA