Galatasaray outlasts Bayern to reach semis
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul became the first team to reach the 2016 Eurocup semifinals when it outlasted FC Bayern Munich 72-59 to win their two-game, total-points quarterfinals series at home on Tuesday. Bayern had won the first game 99-89 one week earlier. Galatasaray will next face the winner of the series between Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas and Stelmet Zielona Gora, which concludes Wednesday. Errick McCollum and Chuck Davis scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, including key free throws in the final minute to lift the winners. Davis’s shots with 32 seconds left put Galatasaray ahead on aggregate for good and after excellent team defense to deny Bayern, McCollum extended the aggregate lead to 3 with 5 seconds remaining. Vladimir Micov, who hit a pair of threes in a 15-1 first-quarter charge that put Galatasaray on track, added 12 points and Blake Schilb totaled 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Alex Renfroe collected 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for Bayern, but his 0-for-5 free throw shooting proved costly. Deon Thompson scored 14 and John Bryant posted 10 points and 8 rebounds, but both fouled out for Bayern.
Schilb got the hosts going before Bryant turned an offensive rebound into a free throw to get Bayern on the scoreboard. Caleb Green knocked down a Galatasaray triple, but before long Renfroe tied it at 5-5 and Anton Gavel free throws gave the visitors the lead. Galatasaray stormed ahead with a pair of Micov three-pointers sandwiching another by McCollum as part of a 15-1 charge that gave the hosts a 2-point aggregate lead after just eight and a half minutes. Justin Cobbs scored to revive Bayern and Thompson closed the gap, but Sinan Guler free throws made it 23-14 after 10 minutes (and 112-113 on aggregate). Paul Zipser opened the second quarter with a three for Bayern, but baskets by Davis and Stephane Lasme soon had the score even on aggregate midway through the quarter. Free throws by Davis and Micov put Galatasaray ahead 35-21 (and 124-120 on aggregate). Despite buckets by Renfroe and Bryant, Davis scored twice and McCollum made it 43-25 at the break 21 (and 132-124 on aggregate).
Schilb’s three-point play further boosted the Galatasaray lead early in the second half, but Bryant and Dusko Savanovic kept Bayern alive. Gavel split free throws to bring the visitors within 4 on aggregate. The second part of the third quarter belonged to Bayern, as Thompson scored twice to cut the deficit in the game to 10 and to even the series on aggregate. Renfroe missed twice from the line with chance to give the visitors the aggregate lead, but Thompson completed the comeback. After a Curtis Jerrells three ended Galatasaray’s dry spell, Renfroe banked in a shot to make it 54-45 (and 143-144 on aggregate) through three quarters. The aggregate lead changed hands as Green netted free throws for Galatasaray and Renfroe nailed a triple. McCollum’s basket tied the series. Zipser made free throws to make it 58-50 (and 147-149 on aggregate) with less than seven minutes left in regulation. After a timeout, Micov beat the 24-second clock with a three-pointer, but Renfroe soon matched him. The Bayern guard missed a chance to add to the aggregate advantage when he missed 2 more free throws. Guler’s three put the hosts up 64-63 (and 153-152 on aggregate) at the four-minute mark. Free throws by McCollum and a basket-and-foul by Davis extended the lead and sent Bryant out with 5 fouls. Thompson came off the bench to bring his team close with a pair of free throws. Thompson’s jumper in the lane with 45 seconds left gave Bayern the aggregate lead, but he then committed his fifth foul and Davis, with 32 seconds left, made 2 free throws to put the hosts in control. Great Galatasaray defense forced Savanovic into an airball and McCollum gave his team a 3-point cushion with free throws with 5 seconds left. Bayern called timeout, but Bryce Taylor and Renfroe missed on the final possession.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Eurocupbasketball.com