May 24, 2012
Turkish League Semifinals, Game 1: May 13-14, 2007
Will Solomon - Fenerbahce Ulker Turk Telekom shocked Efes Pilsen Istanbul 99-106 in a breathtaking double-overtime Turkish League semifinals opener at the Abdi Ipekci Arena on Sunday, and Fenerbahce Ulker took a 2-0 lead in its series by topping Galatasaray Cafe Crown 76-70 on Monday night. Drew Nicholas scored his season high 38 points but couldn’t able help Efes, which struggled for much of the game and often relied solely on Nicholas. Turk Telekom, controlled most of the game, but committed easy turnovers – especially in the fourth quarter – to deny the chance to win the game just in regular time. Tutku Acik led Telekom with 24 points and 9 assists, and Erwin Dudley posted 23 points and 12 rebounds. Fenerbahce, which began the series with a one-game advantage after sweeping Galatasaray in the regular season, needed to work hard to outlast Galatasaray in a tough and physical game. The home team was led by Will Solomon with 20 points and 6 assists.

On Sunday, Antonio Granger and Nicholas made three-pointers in the first quarter to give Efes a 23-22 lead, but Telekom used the advantage of having Dudley and Derrick Alston inside to go up 37-41 at halftime. Both teams looked to lock down on defense after that, but Acik allowed the visitors to finish the third period ahead 54-60. Telekom extended its lead to 8 points through forward Jan Hendrik Jagla with less than 3 inutes remaining, however Nicholas and Granger hit back-to-back three pointers to level the game at the end of regulation, 80-80. In the first overtime, Telekom’s 3-point lead was again denied by Nicholas and the game went to second overtime tied 91-91. Then Acik and Alston teamed for 13 points and that was too much to handle for Nicholas as the Ankara team sealed the game. Acik led Telekom with 24 points and 9 assists, Dudley posted 23 points and 12 rebounds, Muratcan Gular recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds and Alston added 14. Asided from Nicholas’s 38-point performance, Granger and Kerem Gonlum scored 14 each and Ermal Kuqo had 12 for Efes.

Galatasaray made it tough on Fenerbahce, but in the end found itself in a deep hole in the series. After Solomon and Gerald Fitch carried their respective teams through an 18-16 first quarter, Ira Clark took the mantle for Fener as the hosts went ahead narrowly, but Jeff Graves helped Galatasaray back to within 32-31 at halftime. Mirsad Turkcan stepped up his game in the third as Fener went ahead 54-43, but Tufan Ersoz, Fitch, Tolga Tekinalp and Graves teamed up to finish the period with 10 unanswered points to get back within 1 after 30 minutes. Denham Brown then put Galatasaray up 54-58 at the start of the last period, but Solomon, Turkcan and Ibrahim Kutluay had the last word. Fener's big three made the clutch shots down the stretch to propel their side to the win. Solomon led the way with 20 points and 6 assists, Kutluay added 17, Clark 14, Semih Erden 11 and Turkcan finished with 7 points and 9 rebounds. Fitch led Galatasaray with 22, while Brown added 9 and Graves had 8 points and 9 rebounds and Darrel Mitchel had 8 points and 7 assists.

TURKISH League: Semifinal Playoffs, best of 5 games
RecordTeamGame 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5
2Fenerbahce Ulker (1)W*76May 18  
0Galatasaray Cafe Crown (4)L*70-  
0Efes Pilsen (2)99May 15May 19  
1Turk Telekom (3)106--  
*In Turkey, if one team won both regular season games between them, their playoff series begins 1-0 in that team's favor.
Semifinal Playoffs Games
Game 1Efes Pilsen vs. Turk Telekom99-106 2OTMay 13
Game 2Fenerbahce Ulker vs. Galatasaray Cafe Crown76-70May 14
Game 2Efes Pilsen vs. Turk Telekom-May 15
Game 3Galatasaray Cafe Crown vs. Fenerbahce Ulker-May 18
Game 3Turk Telekom vs. Efes Pilsen-May 19
Game 4Galatasaray Cafe Crown vs. Fenerbahce Ulker- 
Game 4Turk Telekom vs. Efes Pilsen- 
Game 5Fenerbahce Ulker vs. Galatasaray Cafe Crown- 
Game 5Efes Pilsen vs. Turk Telekom- 
Monday, May 14, 2007
Euroleague.net

Submenu