By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A fascinating and highly close game between Darussafaka Dogus and Fenerbahce for the Turkish league was ultimately decided by one player’s…. endless swagger!
With 30 seconds left, Darussafaka held a one-point lead and Bobby Dixon took the ball and more or less said “I got this” to his teammates. The American guard won Scott Wilbekin in 1 vs 1 dropping the lay up to put his team ahead in the score. Brad Wanamaker’s jump shot on the other end went off target and the defending champs took the 79 – 78 victory to remain second in the standings.
Even before his game-winning bucket, Dixon was the top scorer of his team. He finished the match with 21 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds while James Nunnally added 14, including two crucial back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Ekpe Udoh contributed 11 points plus 8 rebounds and Nikola Kalinic 13 points.
Coach Blatt’s players fought hard but failed to achieve a grand win vs a powerful opponent, falling to a 3-2 record. Will Clyburn was superb with 24 points plus 9 rebounds while Bradley Wanamaker had 17 and 6 assists. If he banked the jumper in the final play… he’d be the game’s hero as well. A title which now rightfully goes to Dixon.
After this result Anadolu Efes which beat Tofas and Banvit are the only teams left with a 5-0 record in BSL, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray which prevailed over Trabznospor are at 4-1, while Darussafaka, Karsiyaka, Yesilgiersun and Buyukcekmece follow at 3-2.
BSL 2016-17 – 5th Day
Pinar Karsiyaka – Besiktas 82 – 77 (J Covan Brown 22 p. 11 a.)
Istanbul Buyuksehir – Usak Sportif 87-85 (Mark Lyons 25 p. 10 a.)
Galatasaray – Trabzonspor 90 – 84 ((Blake Schilb 24 p. 9 r. 6 a.)
Best Balikseir – Banvit Bandirma 98 – 102 (Jordan Theodore 26 p. 5 r. 4 a.)
Yesilgiersun – TED Ankara 107 – 77 (Ricardo Ledo 22 p.)
Tofas Bursa – Anadolu Efes (Cedi Osman 24 p.)
Darussafaka Dogus – Fenerbahce 78 – 79 (Bobby Dixon 21 p.)
Buyukcekmece – Gaziantep 73 – 68 (Kenneth Hayes 17 p.)