He erupted for 32 points in a much-needed triumph for the Italian side.
Kyle Wiltjer shined with a career-high night against Besiktas
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Kyle Wiltjer fired on all cylinders to lead Umana Reyer Venice to a 106-96 overtime victory against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul at Palasport Taliercio on Wednesday night. The Reyer forward pulled off a sublime display by netting 30% of his team’s points in the game, while he also went an incredible 7-for-11 from deep en route to a career-high 32 points.
The 31-year-old didn’t score a single point in the first 10 minutes, but he netted the opening basket of the second quarter which, of course, was a three-pointer. He went on to finish the first half with 14 points, including 3 back-to-back triples that gave Reyer a 38-20 lead 3 minutes into the second quarter. Wiltjer nailed 2 more from downtown in the third quarter, but picked up an injury and was replaced midway through the closing quarter.
Wiltjer came up big late on
Meanwhile, Besiktas had managed to turn the game around and even grabbed an 80-86 lead with 1:50 left on the clock. That’s when Wiltjer stepped up and completed a three-point play to make it a one-possession game, 83-86. The two teams went to overtime, where they exchanged blows until Wiltjer came into the fore once again to finish the game off.
With 02:32 to go and the score 93-92 in the hosts’ favor, Wiltjer drilled his seventh triple and drew his eighth foul of the night to complete a four-point play. Then, he scored 3 more free throws to make it 102-95 and practically put the game to bed.
The Reyer forward drew a total of 9 fouls and went 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also registered 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks for a career-best PIR of 39. His performance against Besiktas not only allowed Reyer to continue dreaming of clinching a playoff spot after improving to a 5-9 record, but it also saw him earn MVP of Round honors for the first time in his career.