Beşiktaş meets Efes in rematch of finals

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Anadolu Efes center Semih Erden (C) blocks a shot by Beşiktaş point guard Curtis Jerrells (L) during the two teams’ Presidential Cup match in Istanbul. AA photo

Beşiktaş will meet Anadolu Efes in a rematch of last season’s final in one of two Beko Basketball League games tonight.

The defending champion will host Efes at the Abdi İpekçi Arena, hoping to continue its winning streak over its Istanbul rival.

Beşiktaş won its first league title in almost four decades last season, thanks to a 4-2 win in the final series over Efes.

The league title capped a memorable season for Beşiktaş, in which the club also claimed the Eurochallenge Cup and the Turkish Cup, completing an unprecedented trophy treble. The Black Eagles carried their winning form to this season as well, beating Anadolu Efes in the Turkish Presidential Cup, the equivalent of a Super Cup, in the early season.

However, Beşiktaş is yet to carry that form to the league so far, registering only six wins in 10 matches.
Efes, meanwhile, has a 8-2 winning record, trailing Galatasaray Medical Park and Fenerbahçe Ülker, both with 9-1 records. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were scheduled to play late yesterday in a game between the top two teams of the standings.

Beşiktaş, on the other hand, is successful on the European stage, completing its Group D on third spot to the Top 16 in its first Turkish Airlines Euroleague season. Anadolu Efes also advanced to the Top 16 as well.

The game starts at 8:30 p.m. In another game tonight, Olin Edirne will host Mersin BB in a key battle to avoid relegation. Both teams are on 3-7 winning records, one better than the three teams - Royal Gaziantep, Antalya BB and Hacettepe - occupying the bottom spots. The game starts at 6 p.m.