Besiktas rocks Bamberg to move into next stage

Besiktas JK Istanbul clinched a Top 16 berth after routing Brose Baskets Bamberg 83-72 on Friday at Abdi Ipekci Arena. The victory lifted the Turkish champs to 4-3 in Group D, while Bamberg slipped to 2-5. Patrick Christopher shined with 20 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting plus 7 rebounds and Curtis Jerrells added 17 points and 6 assists for the winners. Bamberg built a double-digit lead late in the second quarter, but Besiktas started the third with a 10-2 charge and reeled off 14 straight points between the third and fourth quarters to take total control. Damir Markota tallied 13 points and 7 rebounds and Gasper Vidmar scored 10 for the victors. Anton Gavel scored 21 on 5-of-6 three-point shooting for Besiktas and Casey Jacobsen netted 14 in defeat.

First quarter: Christopher, Jacobsen lead way in tight start

Christopher came out strong with his team’s first 5 points. Bamberg made an early substitution after Teddy Gipson committed 2 fouls in less than four minutes. His replacement, John Goldsberry, came in and promptly nailed a three pointer. Soon a second triple by Jacobsen made it 7-10. Vidmar rocked the rim with a two-handed jam, but Bostjan Nachbar and Latavious Williams came through with their first points for Besiktas. Christopher evened the score at 14-14 with his second triple before Curtis Jerrells penetrated to put the hosts back on top. But back-to-back Bamberg buckets – the second a Williams slam in transition – restored Bamberg control, but Vidmar free throws tied things at 18-18 through 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Gavel heats up as Bamberg builds double-digit lead

Anton Gavel knocked down a three early in the second quarter to put Bamberg up 4. Serhat Cetin responded from downtown and a Jerrells penetration and finger roll made it 23-22. The teams traded baskets and leads on the next few possessions until Gavel broke the trend with back-to-back triples to put the German champs ahead 25-32. After a timeout, Christopher nailed a long jumper for the home team, but Nachbar matched. Maik Zirbes’s tip in gave Bamberg its first double digits lead, 27-37. Muratcan Guler scored from behind the arc, but the momentum remained with the visitors after Nachbar stole an inbounds pass and Markota was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul and then a technical foul. Following free throws by Nachbar and Jacobsen, the score stood at 30-40. Besiktas bit into the lead in the closing minutes of the half as Randal Falker and Christopher generated second-chance points. Vladimir Dasic beat the buzzer to draw Besiktas within 36-42 at the break.

Third quarter: Markota leads last run as hosts take control/span>

Vidmar muscled his way to the first points of the half as the Besiktas fans encouraged their troops through song. Markota tacked on a jumper to make it a 2-point game. Then back-to-back threes by Christopher and Markota made it 46-44, thus capping a 10-2 start to the half and 16-4 run dating back to the second quarter. Christopher and Jerrells remained hot with threes sandwiching a Gavel triple – Bamberg’s first basket of the half. Zirbes soon tipped in his own miss to tie the score at 52-52 midway through the third quarter. Markota free throws, a steal and layup by Guler and another Markota bucket shot Besiktas to a 62-54 advantage at the end of the quarter

Fourth quarter: Jerrells takes over to close out the win

Jerrells added 5 more points early in the fourth quarter as the Besiktas run reached 14 unanswered points. Gipson ended a five-plus minutes scoring drought and Zirbes scored inside, but Jerrells fed Dasic for a slam as the hosts remained in control. A Jerrells triple with just under five minutes to play made it 77-58 and essentially sealed the outcome. Jacobsen and Gavel tried to spark a late charge, but to no avail. The hosts eased up by the end, though Bamberg never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.