Besiktas impresses by beating Partizan in Euroleague debut

Besiktas JK Istanbul recorded its first-ever Turkish Airlines Euroleague victory by downing Partizan mt:s Belgrade 81-65 at Abdi Ipekci Sports Arena in Group D on Friday. An enthusiastic crowd allowed Besiktas to grab a win in its Euroleague debut. Patrick Christopher led the winners with 25 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting. He had 21 in the second half. Curtis Jerrells added 15 for Besiktas. Vladimir Lucic led Partizan with 18 points while Leo Westermann added 12. A 10-1 run that Tutku Acik capped with a three-pointer gave Besiktas a 19-14 lead after 10 minutes. Lucic singlehandedly brought Partizan within 26-24, but Baris Hersek and Jerrells helped Besiktas to get a 39-30 halftime edge. Christopher buried three triples after the break to keep Besiktas ahead, 61-53, after 30 minutes. And Christopher was simply unstoppable as Besiktas boosted its margin to 73-55 and had plenty of time to celebrate an impressive home win.

First quarter: Black Eagles fly early

Serhat Cetin got Besiktas going with a four-meter jumper, which Leo Westermann erased with a big basket in the low post. Dejan Musli soon added a backdoor layup to give Partizan its first lead, 2-4. Jerrells shined with a power basket in the lane and then bettered Dragan Milosavljevic's put-back layup with a corner triple for a 7-6 Besiktas edge. Westermann continued to pace Partizan with a reverse layup and an acrobatic basket, but Patrick Christopher brought the hosts within 9-10. Milosavljevic struck from downtown and even after Cetin hit a close jumper, a free throw by Drew Gordon gave Partizan an 11-14 edge. Cetin and Gasper Vidmar split foul shots before a three-pointer by Cetin brought the crowd to their feet at 16-14. Partizan struggled to score and Tutku Acik nailed a triple that hit the rim, went up and fell down to cap a 10-1 run and give Besiktas a 19-14 margin after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Lucic not enough for Partizan

Vladimir Lucic stepped up with a wild driving layup early in the second quarter and Bogdan Bogdanovic added a backdoor basket to bring Partizan within 19-18. Cehver Ozer quickly answered from downtown and a fast break layup by Muratcan Guler forced Coach Dusko Vujosevic to stop the game at 24-18. Vidmar had a big block on Musli, which allowed Ozer to ignite the crowd with a dunk. Bogdanovic scored around the basket, however, and 4 free throws by Lucic brought Partizan a bit closer, 26-24. Besiktas struggled to get open looks without Acik on the floor until Jerrells shined with a driving layup. Baris Hersek bettered that with a bomb from downtown, but a hook shot by Musli kept the guests within 31-26. Hersek nailed his second triple only to see Lucic immediately answer from downtown. A free throw by Djordje Gagic, a three-pointer by Jerrells and a big dunk by Christopher fixed the halftime score at 39-30.

Third quarter: Christopher keeps hosts ahead

Lucic looked unstoppable with a turnaround jumper right after the break, but Jerrells quickly answered with a layup in transition and a three-pointer by Christopher gave Besiktas its first double-digit lead, 44-32. Damir Markota hit free throws, which Westermann improved on with a big triple off the dribble. Christopher insisted from downtown and a driving layup by Milosavljevic kept Partizan within 49-37. Gagic hit free throws and Gordon added a layup, but Jerrells downed his third three-pointer. Gordon scored again only to see Christopher hit another one from beyond the arc. Westermann joined the three-point shootout and Gordon banked in a close jumper to keep the guests in the game, 55-48. Vidmar stepped up with a power layup, but Lucic downed a corner triple to fuel the guests' comeback, 57-51. However Ozer scored down low and Randal Falker erased Lucic's free throws with a tip-in for a 61-53 Besiktas edge after 30 minutes.

Fourth quarter: Besiktas entertains and celebrates

Gagic tried to ignite the guests' comeback with a tip-in but Christopher nailed another three-pointer to keep Besiktas out of trouble, 64-55. Vladimir Dasic scored around the basket and a jump hook by Falker broke the game open, 68-55, with eight minutes to go. Christopher rocked the rim with an alley-oop slam and even after the outcome was clear, both teams kept fighting for the point difference, which could be critical at the end of the regular season. Christopher buried his fifth triple, but Gagic shined with a tip-in. Besiktas started to run the game clock down by using long possessions. Gordon scored in the paint, but it was too little, too late for the guests as the wild fan base wearing black and white was celebrating that Besiktas had entered the Euroleague in style.