Beşiktaş advances to final series
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Beşiktaş Milangaz guards Carlos Arroyo (R) and Mehmet Yağmur celebrate after beating Galatasaray Medical Park in the Game Four of the semifinals. AA photo
Beşiktaş Milangaz advanced to the Beko Turkish Basketball League (TBL) final for the first time in seven years after knocking rival Galatasaray Medical Park out of the playoffs on May 22.Beşiktaş won the best-of-five series 3-1 over Galatasaray and won a berth in the final. Beşiktaş will meet the winner of the tie between Anadolu Efes and Banvit in the final.
Anadolu Efes was leading the series 2-1 heading into yesterday’s Game Four. The game was still in progress as the Hürriyet Daily News went to print late yesterday.
Beşiktaş Milangaz won two trophies, the Turkish Cup and the Eurochallenge Cup, earlier this season and will be aiming to complete a trophy treble.
“It was a very valuable victory,” Ergin Ataman said. “We want to win all three trophies in the same season, just like Anadolu Efes did in 1996. Right now all we’re aiming for is the Turkish title.”
With its victory in the Eurochallenge, the third-tier continental club competition, Beşiktaş Milangaz became only the second Turkish men’s basketball team to win a European trophy after Efes’ now-defunct Korac Cup in 1996.
On Tuesday, Beşiktaş Milangaz used a last quarter rally to beat its archrival 84-73. The Black Eagles outscored their rivals 26-14 in the last quarter to close the series. David Hawkins had 24 points, while Carlos Arroyo added 23 points and six assists for Beşiktaş.
For Galatasaray Medical Park, Nihad Dedovic had 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. The turning point of the game came when a technical foul was called on Galatasaray center Luksa Andric as Beşiktaş was leading 72-71 with 2:34 left in the game.
Galatasaray coach Oktay Mahmuti was fuming at the decision after the game. “No disrespect to Beşiktaş, but nobody should say our referees are good after such a game,” Mahmuti said. “It is a disgrace to Turkish basketball.”