Semifinals predictions: Game 3, Bourg vs. Besiktas

Check out the Game 3 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members for the BKT EuroCup semifinals.

Bourg gives us an all-French final

by Frankie Sachs

The more I ask myself questions about this series, the more confidence I have that Bourg will win. Does home-court advantage matter? Yes. Do I expect a third straight poor outing from Bourg's Zaccharie Risacher? No. Is there a more effective player in this series than Angel Delgado? No. Do I think Bourg is better prepared to slow him down in Game 3? Probably. Which team's bench has impressed more in the series? Bourg's. Is Jeremy Morgan due a break-out game? Probably. Is Bourg, which shot 39.1% from deep during the regular season, going to improve on its 33.3% from behind the arc in this series? I think so. Essentially, the more I examine what has happened so far this season and in this series, the more I am confident that we will have an all-French League final. My pick: Bourg by 8.

Besiktas does it again

by Javier Gancedo

Anything can happen in Game 3. Besiktas has the experience and has survived three do-or-die games in this year's playoffs. Head coach Dusan Alimpijevic and playmaker Derek Needham know what it takes to reach the EuroCup Finals against all odds. It will not be easy for Besiktas, as Bourg has the home-court advantage and should prevail in Game 3. A team with no stars is always more unpredictable, as any player can step up at any given time. As many as seven Bourg players have reached double digits in scoring at some point in three playoffs games. It is all about imposing the right rhythm and wanting it more, and Besiktas has done exactly that against Dreamland Gran Canaria, in the second half against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, and in Game 2 of this series. Top scorer Jonah Mathews is 0 for 12 from downtown in the series and that will probably change, too. My pick: Besiktas.

Bourg makes history

by Igor Petrinovic

A do-or-die series finale is any basketball fan’s dream, and I am sure we are set to see major drama in Game 3. Bourg worked all season long to be in this position, to have a home-court advantage in elimination games. For Bourg, that carries even more weight as the team has lost just one of 11 games at the Ekinox this season. Frederic Fauthoux’s troops have passed all the tests so far, won all the important games this season, and I think they win another one, downing Besiktas once again. My pick: Bourg.

Besiktas will haunt Bourg

by Geoff Gillingham

Here we are – Game 3! Bourg and Besiktas split the first two games of this semifinal series, with both teams winning at home, but I believe we'll finally see a road winner on Wednesday night. Besiktas has already shown in the playoffs that it can go on the road and win, defeating Dreamland Gran Canaria and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv on its travels in the eighthfinals and quarterfinals, respectively. Angel Delgado has been a monster in this series, averaging 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, and I think he'll play a pivotal role once more. I also expect to see a big game from Jonah Mathews as head coach Dusan Alimpijevic reaches the EuroCup Finals for the second time in three years with two different teams. My pick: Besiktas.

Bourg silences the doubters

by Frank Lawlor

I have no choice here. I picked a Bourg-Paris final series in my bracket before the playoffs started. I'd be a fool to change horses now. But make no mistake, Bourg will have it tough. Besiktas upped its intensity in the second half of Game 2, pushed by their 15,000-strong crowd, and if the visitors can retain that defensive fervor, which they have shown on the road plenty of times before, this will be a grind-out game. Can Bourg win such a defensive battle? Of course. Not only does it have the league's second-best defense, but Bourg has won every game that mattered at home all season. Several home-team players are due for better performances than they've had to date in this series. The key will be how much Bourg can limit Besiktas big men Angel Delgado and Marko Simonovic and how well the hosts take care of the ball. Their talent and tenacity in the middle positions is a given. Bourg has been underestimated all season and just keeps on getting the job done. My pick: Bourg.