Jonah Mathews led the charge in the second half
Besiktas shows late-game poise, takes OT thriller over Lietkabelis
Ανάλυση αγώνα
3 Χρόνος Ανάγνωσης
Regular Season
Round 10 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Besiktas GAIN IstanbulBJK
9485
Lietkabelis PanevezysLIE
group b
Overview
w
w
w
w
l
l
l
w
l
l
Besiktas GAIN Istanbul was made to sweat, but in the end it took care of business once again, closing out a 94-85 overtime win against Lietkabelis Panevezys to improve to 8-2 in Group B and stay perfect at home.
“Every game is important. There are no easy games in EuroCup,” Besiktas coach Dusan Alimpijevic said before tipoff. Forty-five minutes later, it felt exactly like one of those nights.
Riding the wave of a four-game winning streak, Besiktas came into Round 10 in top form and that showed, particularly in the first half. The third quarter told a different story, however, with Lietkabelis mounting a confident run to take the lead. Late on, Besiktas leaned on its late-game character to force the extra session before flexing its muscles in overtime.
Ante Zizic was at the heart of the black-and-whites’ first-half surge. The Round 9 MVP made his presence felt inside, finishing the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds. “Each guy who stepped on the court showed his character, and we are ready for the next one,” he said after the game.
Besiktas struggled with foul trouble throughout the game and lost some defensive balance in the third quarter, allowing Lietkabelis to find easy shots and take the lead, outscoring the home side 17-27.
In the fourth, Besiktas regained its defensive edge, and a roller-coaster final quarter set the stage for a tense finish. With 30 seconds left, Lietkabelis held a five-point lead, but a crucial three from Vitto Brown and a steal followed by free throws by Yigit Arslan sent the game to overtime, where Besiktas regained control.
‘‘We showed Besiktas character, we showed that we are fighting until the last second, and we showed that we never give up,’’ said Coach Alimpijevic after the game. ‘‘Sometimes, for the character of the team and to build something, sometimes it’s better to win this kind of game than maybe [by] plus 10 or plus 15.’’
Jonah Mathews and Brown took charge for Besiktas in the second half. Mathews knocked down three vital threes on his way to 14 points, while Brown added 13, also hitting three important triples. The home team leaned on its deep roster, with every player who stepped on the floor finding their spot on the scoreboard.
For Lietkabelis, chasing just its third win of the season, Michael Flowers led the charge with a career-high 35 PIR and 27 points. Kristian Kullamae added 18 points, knocking down key threes, but despite its best efforts, the Lithuanian side couldn’t find a way back.
In Round 11, Besiktas will look to carry this momentum to London as it faces the Lions, while Lietkabelis will search for its third win at home against NINERS Chemnitz.
