The Turkish team advanced to 5-1, which leaves it second in the Group A standings.
Delgado won battle with Dziewa; Besiktas learned lesson from Hamburg
Article
3 mins read
Regular Season
Round 6 of 18
Group A
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Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul needed more fight than expected to fend off Veolia Towers Hamburg 90-78, thanks in large part to Angel Delgado winning the battle of the bigs against Aleksander Dziewa.
Delgado collected a triple-double of sorts with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 fouls drawn, with the Dominican Republic international being one of six Besiktas players in double figures in scoring. His excellence was needed, especially on the glass, as Hamburg did not look like a team coming into the game without a victory.
Besiktas leaned on Delgado
Delgado helped Besiktas stay close in the second quarter, with fouls drawn thanks to his physical presence around the basket as the team struggled to score.
It was yet another strong game for the 28-year-old center. Delgado, who is making his EuroCup debut this season, picked his second double-double of the season following an 11-point, 11-rebound output in Round 2 against Prometey Slobozhanske. For the season, Delgado is averaging 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Dziewa ensured Hamburg stayed alive
With Hamburg missing center Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Dziewa kept the German side close for the first 35 minutes and finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 fouls drawn of his own, leading to 8-of-10 free throws.
In fact, 4 of Dziewa’s rebounds came on the offensive glass as Hamburg snatched 13 offensive boards. Those extra possessions helped the guests have more energy to work on defense, which was Hamburg’s biggest weakness coming into the game, ranking last in the EuroCup in PIR allowed (133.0), points allowed (104.2), assists (22.0), two-point shooting (64.2%) and three-point accuracy (46.0%).
“This was not an easy game,” Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic admitted afterward. “They had 13 offensive rebounds. They scored 20 or more points in three quarters. This is not our game, but they gave us a lesson for the future.”
Besiktas came into the game as one of the top defenses in the league, ranking first in points allowed (71.2), assists allowed (13.6) and three-point shooting (26.7%).
Alimpijevic knows his team is becoming a target in the competition, though.
“We have become a challenge for everybody, as they want to beat us. We respect that and have to adjust to that,” the coach said.
Having a force in the middle like Delgado certainly helps with any game plan adjustments Besiktas might need to make.