The French side arrived in Istanbul with great defensive numbers, but Dusan Alimpijevic's men had other ideas
Besiktas puts on a show to end Bourg's unbeaten record
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 5 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Besiktas GAIN IstanbulBJK
9060
Cosea JL Bourg-en-BresseJLB
group b
Overview
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Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse arrived at the BJK GAIN Sports Complex as the only undefeated team in Group B – and with one of the stingiest defenses in recent BKT EuroCup history.
Bourg had allowed just 62.3 points per game in its first five outings, a full 13.7 fewer than any other team in the 2025–26 EuroCup. Opponents regularly struggled to find rhythm, shooting just 46.4% inside the arc and 22.1% from deep, both the lowest marks allowed in the competition.
Besiktas GAIN Istanbul, however, found the formula to break through that defensive wall. The Turkish side dominated from the opening tip, leading 55–27 at halftime and cruising to a convincing 90–60 home victory against a team that had barely conceded 60 points per night. This time, it was Bourg that was held to just 60 points.
“It was a good game. We had a serious approach,” said head coach Dusan Alimpijevic. “We responded physically against most probably one of the most athletic teams in the league. And we kept them all four quarters under 20 [points]. I think these numbers show how good we were on defense.”
The key was efficiency and execution. Alimpijevic designed a sharp game plan centered on his guards’ one-on-one skills. Jonah Mathews and Devon Dotson constantly attacked Bourg’s defense, either driving to the rim or creating space for clean looks.
Mathews and Dotson combined for 26 first-half points. Dotson was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5, including a long three-pointer. Mathews added three triples on his way to 12 points.
Together, the duo posted a performance index rating (PIR) of 28 – double that of the entire Bourg team (14) in the same span. Besiktas tallied just 9 assists before halftime, but by putting the ball in the right hands, they made every possession count.
“Defense was good, obviously, we kept them to 60 points,” Alimpijevic added. “But I have to say something: this was so far the best defensive team in both groups in the EuroCup, allowing opponents to score under 63 points on average. We scored 90, so that was also one very important part of our preparation – to be sharp on offense.”
The defense also fueled the offense. Bourg, which averaged just 11.9 turnovers per game, committed 10 in the first half alone. Besiktas turned those mistakes into easy transition points, compounding Bourg’s frustration.
Combined with Mathews and Dotson’s hot shooting, it resulted in a record-breaking first half.
Besiktas’s 28-point halftime lead was the club’s second largest in EuroCup history, behind only a 33-point margin (61–28) against ratiopharm ulm on October 14, 2024.
For Bourg, it marked its worst first-half deficit ever in the competition, surpassing the 54–31 gap from Game 1 of the 2024 EuroCup Finals against Paris Basketball.
After the break, Besiktas managed the game smartly. The offensive fireworks slowed down, but the outcome was never in doubt. The early explosion had already sealed the deal – and ended Bourg’s perfect start to the season in style.
Just like Besiktas made history in the first half, its eventual 30-point victory marked the second-best margin of victory in the club's EuroCup history, only trailing the 33 it beat Ulm by last season.
“I think it was a great sight to see. This team came out and fought from the opening minute,” Dotson said after the game. “There is no better crowd in Europe, I think, than our fans — the supporters that cheer for us from the start of the tip. I am excited. We have to keep it rolling.”
Dotson emphasized the importance of setting the tone early.
“I wanted to make a point by starting with energy,” he said. “It starts with the point guard getting the team going, and my teammates did a great job of keeping the energy flowing. This is a long road, but we will keep rolling.”
