Sporting were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the FIBA Europe Cup after losing the second leg against Bahcesehir College at Ulker Sports and Event Hall, Istanbul, 66-54 (15-19, 13-20, 13-7, 25-8).
The lions, deprived of Travante Williams (4 pts) since the first quarter due to injury, were forced to beat the Turks by more than 3 points in view of the result of the first match (70-73) played in Lisbon, last week .
The chance to reach “half-time” was a permanent reality until 8.26 minutes from the final whistle, when, even after a bad 3rd quarter where they only scored 7 points (13- 7) and recorded 1/8 in triples, the Lisbon people still kept the lead of 8 (44-52), after two baskets from Joshua Patton (6 pts, 5 res, 2 in).
However, failing to score goals again and committing 4 turnovers in a moment of greater disorientation in the face of the opposing defensive pressure, which did not leave much space for the ball carrier, and the “entrance” of the audience in the match, the national champions threw everything to lose when they suffered a crushing 14-0 (58-52) in which Jamar Smith (16 pts, 4 res) and Tarik Black (12 pts, 6 res, 4 rbl), the latter breaching inside the box, was decisive in the turnover.
Sporting, which never let go of the lead until 53-52, with 5.31 m on the clock, remained an inexplicable 5.20 m without a basket. Micah Downs (9 pts, 3 ps) further reduced to 58-54, but in the 3 minutes that followed, only Bahcesehir would score, with Muhammed Baygul (15 pts, 3 res) delivering the knockout blow in a hat-trick for the 64-54.
In the Portuguese team, Tanner Omlid (10 pts, 5 res, 2 ass) and Shakir Smith (6) also stand out, who scored two shots of three points each early in the game that immediately led to a 2 advantage. -12. . The biggest difference was found in the 2nd quarter (22-36).
If at halftime the team led by Luís Magalhães recorded 13/29 in field throws (44.83%), with a sensational 6/14 in triples (42.86%), and only 5 turnovers, in the end these statistics fell to: 20/55 (36.36%), with 7/26 (26.92%), and a total of 17 lost balls without throwing.
The table fight has always been favorable to the Turks: 42 rebounds (10 offensive) – 31 (5), who still had in goal Kartal Ozmirak (12 pts, 6 res, 2 ass) another of the elements that brought the hosts to score 6 hat-tricks after returning from the locker room (28-99).
