Gran Canaria used a big fourth-quarter run to pull out a 74-76 road win
'Determined' Gran Canaria got a big one on the road
It might have been far from pretty but Dreamland Gran Canaria got back to its winning ways, pulling out an important 74-76 win over Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on Wednesday.
"It was a tough game, very physical", said Gran Canaria head coach Jaka Lakovic after the game.
It was a contest in which both teams struggled offensively. They each had 16 turnovers and for Besiktas, it meant as many turnovers as assists, while Gran Canaria had only 14 helpers.
Each team missed 8 free throws. Besiktas made 8 triples on 32.0% shooting while Gran Canaria made 7 threes on 35.0% shooting.
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Gran Canaria led throughout the third quarter, but Besiktas had a strong finish to the third, a 10-0 run that erased a deficit and made it 57-53 after 30 minutes.
However, with the shots still not falling, Gran Canaria turned to its defense and used a 2-15 run that opened a 63-72 lead.
"We actually lost momentum in the third quarter but we were persistent enough," Jakovic explained. "We showed character in this tough court against a great team. In the fourth quarter, we were focused enough, and determined to get this win."
So, Gran Canaria stole one on the road against one of its direct rivals in a race for top two places in Group A. The team held its opponents under 80 points for sixth straight game, and at 6-2, the team is well positioned going into the EuroCup's two-week break.