By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes almost returned the favor to Fenerbahce by getting two road wins in the BSL finals, but first, Giorgos Papagiannis with a game-saving block, and then Nigel Hayes Davies in the overtime made things happen.
Fenerbahce got the 80-72 win after a tense night in overtime and the 11th domestic championship title in their history.
Hayes-Davis with 16 points, 12 of them in overtime, and Tarik Biberovic with 15 were the top scorers of the winning side on an ugly night that could have ended up very differently.
Fenerbahce started the game leading 32-12 after 12 minutes of action, but thanks to Elijah Bryant who had 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Efes turned things around and got a real shot for the win.
However, with the game on the line, Papagiannis, who had eight points and nine rebounds, blocked a layup by Dogus Ozdemiroglu at the buzzer to send the contest to extra time (64-64) and Efes lost the chance to tie the series at 2-2 after an amazing comeback.
“Nigel had a Kobe Bryant performance”
Hayes-Davis won the MVP award and as coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said after the final buzzer: “All these situations create some heroes. Papagiannis’ block sent us to overtime. Nigel also had a Kobe Bryant performance. I didn’t coach very well up until that point, I couldn’t find Nigel. I didn’t manage to get Nigel into the game before. I’m a little angry with myself for that. But now it’s time to be happy and celebrate.”
Jasikevicius managed to win a championship title in a third different country as a coach, after doing the same in Lithuania with Zalgiris and in Spain with Barcelona.