"No, That's a EuroLeague Record and It's on Us – Don't Blame the Refs!" Alimpijević's Comments Echo Across Europe
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Following the contest, Dušan Alimpijević directed all praise toward his squad while offering a compelling take on the dramatic free-throw disparity: Baskonia 42 – Besiktas 17.
"Beyond shutting down their three-point shooting, our energy and mentality were spot on, and I'm extremely proud of my players because they truly wanted this win tonight," Alimpijević said after the EuroLeague Round 4 triumph. "You could see that hunger. We adjusted our defensive approach in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. I believe we gave up just 13 points; we played lockdown defense when it mattered most, and that made the difference. They are slowly realizing that the EuroLeague is an entirely different competition, much tougher defensively. We are newcomers here and we need time."
Baskonia went to the charity stripe 29 times in the first half alone, but Alimpijević refused to point fingers at the officiating:
"Credit to my players, they did a lot of great things. Had we not conceded so many free throws in the first half, I believe we could have closed out this win a bit more comfortably," Alimpijević noted. "I am not saying this has anything to do with the referees—this is entirely on us. We allowed them 29 free throws in the first half, which I think is a EuroLeague record. That falls on our shoulders. Moving forward, we need to be much smarter in those situations."
Besiktas now move to 2-2 on the season, with a Round 5 trip to face Hapoel up next.
American turns back the clock to dismantle Baskonia!
Besiktas set the tone in the opening minutes. Dušan Alimpijević's men dominated the scoring, leaving Baskonia looking thoroughly outmatched early on. Scottie Wilbekin led the charge as the visitors took a 28-20 lead into the second quarter.
It seemed Alimpijević's squad would maintain their cushion, but Baskonia rallied behind Kenneth Faried to wipe out the deficit and take a 51-49 lead into halftime.
Besiktas regrouped after the break. The Istanbul side leaned on Devon Dotson and Eugene Omoruyi to make the difference, and both delivered. Baskonia spent the rest of the period playing catch-up, with the visitors taking a slim 73-71 edge into the final ten minutes.
In the final period, Wilbekin continued to orchestrate the half-court offense with authority. Paolo Galbiati's side had no answer for the guard as the Black Eagles closed in on a well-earned victory.
Wilbekin finished with a team-high 24 points, matching Chris Duarte's 24-point performance on the other end.
Edwards powers Zalgiris
Welcome home, champion
EuroLeague, Round 4
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