Besiktas defeated Bahcesehir 73-71 on the road in Game 4 of the Turkish Super League semifinals, leveling the series at 2-2.
After suffering two consecutive defeats, Besiktas managed to reclaim home-court advantage and now enters the decisive Game 5 with a psychological edge, as the winner-take-all clash will be played on its own floor.
Dusan Alimpijevic’s team started the game with determination. Despite struggling from beyond the arc (2/9), Besiktas held a four-point lead after the opening quarter and continued to build on it in the second period.
The visitors were excellent in the second quarter as well, outscoring Bahcesehir 22-15 to establish a double-digit advantage (+11) before halftime. Anthony Brown was particularly effective during that stretch.
Besiktas maintained a comfortable lead throughout most of the third quarter, but Bahcesehir responded with an 8-0 run that significantly cut into the deficit and put pressure on the visitors. Although the gap was reduced to just four points at one stage, the EuroCup finalists managed to restore some breathing room and entered the final quarter ahead 59-51.
Marko Barac’s team mounted another comeback early in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to five points and setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Brown was fouled on a three-point attempt and had the chance to calm Besiktas with three free throws, but surprisingly missed all three. Bahcesehir capitalized with four straight points to pull within one.
Malachi Flynn struggled throughout the night from long range, missing his first five three-point attempts. After another miss, Besiktas finally found points on the other end. Former Partizan player Mateusz Ponitka then converted from the free-throw line, giving Bahcesehir hope of completing the comeback, but Besiktas refused to surrender the lead.
Flynn eventually knocked down his first three-pointer of the game (1/7), bringing Bahcesehir back within a single point, but the visitors remained composed in the closing moments.
The drama ultimately went in favor of Alimpijevic’s side, which forced a decisive Game 5. Flynn ended up as the tragic figure of the night, missing both free throws that could have tied the game in the final seconds. Hunter Hale had a chance too, but with only 1.9 seconds on the clock, he was forced into bad shot.
Brown led the winners with 16 points, while Brynton Lemar also made a significant contribution. For Bahcesehir, Tyler Cavanaugh was the top scorer with 14 points.
