Beşiktaş claims basketball title

Beşiktaş Milangaz players celebrate after clinching the Beko Baskteball League title following a 80-76 victory over Anadolu Efes. The Istanbul club won the best-of-seven finals series 4-2 while Anadolu Efes players failed to appear to receive their second-place medals. AA photo

Carlos Arroyo posts 18 points and eight assists to carry Beşiktaş Milangaz to its first Turkish Basketball League title since 1975. I congratulate my players who put in a great fight since the first day, says Beşiktaş coach Ataman

Beşiktaş Milangaz won its first Turkish championshipin 37 years after edging Anadolu Efes 80-76 at Abdi İpekçi Sports Hall on June 11 to claim the best-of-seven finals 4-2.

The Beko Basketball League title came as quite a surprise for the Istanbul club in a season marred with financial troubles and a European competition ban imposed on its football team for violating financial fair play rules.

Carlos Arroyo starred with 18 points and eight assists, while Erwin Dudley and Zoran Erceg added 15 points apiece to pace the winners, who celebrated with passion after the final buzzer.

Anadolu Efes players failed to appear to receive their second-place medals, while Captain Kerem Tunçeri was alone on the court to receive the runner-up trophy.

The game was close down the stretch and Efes had a shot to tie it, but missed, allowing Dudley to seal the win from the line. Pops Mensah-Bonsu added 10 points and eight rebounds, while David Hawkins tallied 10 points and eight assists for the winners. Tunçeri led Efes with 22 points, followed by Oliver Lafayette with 13 and Kerem Gönlüm with 10 in defeat.

Historical season

Beşiktaş coach Ergin Ataman told reporters on the court after the game that a historical season was over.

“It has been a very difficult season; I congratulate my players who put in a great fight since the first day. We are now a part of Beşiktaş history and Turkish basketball history. I call on millions of Beşiktaş supporters to celebrate this great achievement,” said Ataman, recalling that Beşiktaş Milangaz completed the season with three trophies, including the Turkish Cup and Eurochallenge.

Ataman, however, did challenge the club administration to outline its plans for next season as soon as possible, especially in the wake of the club’s financial issues.

“If they want to keep this team, they should inform us about the plans as of tomorrow,” the successful coach said. “If the club will continue dealing with major financial problems, I will not be here. The ball is now in the administration’s and chairman’s court.”

Efes started well and held Beşiktaş without a basket for more than three minutes, but a Hawkins three-pointer evened the game at 8-8 midway through the opening quarter. The score remained tight and Arroyo lifted the hosts to their first lead, 20-18, with a three-pointer at the end of the first quarter.

Slim leads

Beşiktaş then held slim leads through much of the second quarter and reached the break leading 40-39 on a Dudley basket in the last second of the half. Lafayette tied the game with a triple and then gave Efes its first lead of the second half, 46-44.

After multiple lead changes, a Tunçeri triple left the teams all square at 61-61 through three quarters. The fourth quarter featured six lead changes and two ties with neither team taking a lead of more than three until Beşiktaş’s Serhat Çetin nailed a clutch three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining that made it 74-69.

A Tunçeri three-pointer gave Efes hope at 78-76 with nine seconds to go. Efes sent Çetin to the line, but he made only one, which left Efes a chance to tie it. However after a timeout, Sasha Vujacic forced a shot from the corner and missed, setting the stage for Dudley’s free throw with six seconds remaining to cap the victory. (Istanbul-Hürriyet Daily News)

UEFA-hit Beşiktaş receives Euroleague consolation

Beşiktaş will compete in the Euroleague for the first time in its history. AFP photo

A day after suffering the exclusion from European football competitions, Beşiktaş was consoled when its basketball team was called to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.

The Turkish Airlines Euroleague added Beşiktaş Milangaz to its list of next season’s participants, meaning the team will play in the top-level continental basketball competition for the first time in its history.

Beşiktaş Milangaz will join Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahçe Ülker at the competition. Last year, Galatasaray Medical Park joined Efes and Fenerbahçe in the competition, but missed out on a chance for automatic qualification after being knocked out in the Beko Turkish Basketball League (TBL) semifinals.

Galatasaray still holds a chance of playing in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague qualifiers through a wild-card, NTV Spor reported.

Initial statements suggested that Beşiktaş Milangaz would only be accepted to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague if it won the TBL title. Beşiktaş Milangaz is currently playing against Anadolu Efes in the best-of-seven TBL final series.

“We won’t lose the final. But still of course, we are happy,” coach Ergin Ataman said to NTV Spor.

Best season
Beşiktaş is having its best season ever, having clinched the Eurochallenge, the third-tier European cup, and the Turkish Cup.

“I think we deserve to be in the Euroleague with our overall performance this season and the atmosphere at the Sinan Erdem Dome,” Ataman said. “This is important news for me, but it is a bigger gain for the Euroleague.”

Beşiktaş’s Euroleague qualification came a day after the club’s football team was suspended from playing in European competitions for one year. On May 30, UEFA announced it had banned Beşiktaş and two other Turkish clubs, Bursaspor and Gaziantepspor, due to financial misdemeanors.

Chairman Fikret Orman, who was only elected a few months ago, showed the way for getting out of the financial crisis.

“It brought me an agony to see that Beşiktaş was involved in such affairs,” Orman said in a press conference late May 30. “I promise those affairs will not happen again – at least during my term.”

“The club will act within its budget,” Orman said, in reference to the uncontrolled budget during previous chairman Yıldırım Demirören’s helm. “Instead of transfers that look nice to fans, we will act within our budget. We have to do it.” (Istanbul-Hürriyet Daily News)

Beşiktaş one victory away from final

Beşiktaş Milangaz forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu (44) tries to score a basket against Galatasaray Medical Park center Luksa Andric (L) during the two teams’ playoff match. AA photo

Beşiktaş Milangaz looks to capitalize on its home-court advantage and close out Beko Turkish Basketball League semifinal playoff series against archival Galatasaray Medical Park

Beşiktaş Milangaz stands just one win away from advancing to the Beko Turkish Basketball League (TBL) finals when it takes on Galatasaray Medical Park tonight.

The Black Eagles host their Istanbul rivals at the Sinan Erdem Dome at 8 p.m. They have a 2-1 series lead in the two teams’ best-of-five semifinal series.

Beşiktaş Milangaz bounced back after losing the first game of the series and stole the home-court advantage from Galatasaray with an away win last week. It now has the chance to close out the series in front of its fans, but coach Ergin Ataman refuses to declare the series over.

“Right now we are only 2-1 ahead,” Ataman said during the post-game conference after a 74-65 win over Galatasaray Medical Park on May 20. “Of course, playing another game here on our home court is an advantage, but nothing is finished yet. We have another win to get before the finals.”

On May 20, David Hawkins led all scorers with 21 points for Beşiktaş, who used a strong start to lead the game until the end. Boris Savovic and Nihad Dedovic both had 16 points for Galatasaray, who struggled to find rhythm at the offensive end of the court.

“What we had to do was try and take them out of their offensive routine,” Ataman said. “We had the control over the game from the start to the finish. We won the game with our defensive success.”

Beşiktaş Milangaz played its regular season games at its own 3,200-seat Milangaz Arena throughout the season, but it has switched to the 16,000-seat Sinan Erdem Dome for the series. The decision paid off with boisterous support from a sold-out crowd of Beşiktaş fans at the Turkish national team’s home court in Istanbul.

“We did not confine that series to Akatlar [Milangaz Arena]; we could have had bigger pressure there as well,” Ataman said. “The tickets for that game were sold out three days before the match. Tuesday’s matches are coming close to selling out. The atmosphere they created played a huge part [in our win]. There was huge pressure on Galatasaray Medical Park. They could not play the same way as they did at the Abdi İpekçi Arena. That was a historic atmosphere for Turkish basketball.”

Galatasaray coach Oktay Mahmuti is aware that his team cannot afford another defeat.

“Now Beşiktaş has the advantage in the series,” he said. “We will try as hard as we can to win the game. It will be a make-or-break kind of game.” (hurriyetdailynews)

Olympiacos crowned Europe's best in Istanbul

DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

Europe's champion was crowned in a fierce final game as Olympiacos and CSKA Moscow battled it out last night in Euroleague's final game in Istanbul.

CSKA Moscow was enjoying a 19 points lead well into the third quarter until Olympiacos charged into victory in the final quarter. The heated game ended with a 62 to 61 end score, with Olympiacos claiming the title of Europe's best.

Milos Teodosic of CSKA and Vassilis Spanoulis of Olympiacos outshined their peers by scoring 15 points each.

After battling their way to Istanbul, four great teams to compete to be the greatest had been settled as CSKA Moscow, FC Barcelona Regal, Olympiacos Piraeus and then defending champion Panathinaikos.

Olympiacos Piraeus has defeated FC Barcelona Regal as CSKA Moscow had joined in after overcoming Panathinaikos in the semifinals. (ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News)