JL Bourg-en-Bresse is into its first-ever European final after beating Beşiktaş Basketbol in Game 3 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Semifinals, but everyone is keeping their feet on the ground.

Bourg keeping its eye on the prize after knocking off Besiktas

It was party time inside Ekinox when the final buzzer sounded on Wednesday night, with Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse reaching its first European final in club history following [an 89-63 Game 3 win over Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-beats-besiktas-89-63-to-reach-the-eurocup-finals/).

The final scoreline didn’t reflect how tight things were through the first 30 minutes – Bourg led by six points entering the fourth quarter – but an emphatic finish to the game set up an all-French matchup with Paris Basketball in the BKT EuroCup Finals.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Their first EuroCup final for <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLBourgBasket</a> and that&#39;s how they celebrate it👇👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/YZOvhAkZmC">pic.twitter.com/YZOvhAkZmC</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1775619544876220481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Although the Bourg fans were having the time of their lives in the bleachers, and the likes of forward [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) and head coach Frederic Fauthoux were delighted with the result, there was a collective understanding afterward that a big challenge is coming up, starting next Tuesday night at Adidas Arena in the French capital.

“I think we had the perfect game in this semifinal, with great intensity, great energy,” Coach Fauthoux commented in the post-game press conference. “We controlled a lot of things in this game. I think we deserved to win today in this semifinal, but it’s not over. We are happy, but we’ll stay focused.”

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse head coach Frederic Fauthoux spoke to the TV cameras after his team's Game 3 triumph against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

Coach Fauthoux speaks post-Besiktas win

It was a similar rhetoric from Salash, who finished as the player of the game with 19 points, more than any other player. Salash helped Spanish side San Pablo Burgos become the Basketball Champions League champion in 2020-21 and now has the chance to lift the EuroCup with Bourg in his debut season in the competition, yet he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“It’s my first season playing in the EuroCup and we’ve gone straight to the finals, so it feels amazing,” he noted in the flash interview courtside. “But we still have one more step to do, you know? Just the final \[awaits\]. We haven’t won yet, so we’ve got to work hard.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">LA JL BOURG EST EN FINALE D&#39;EUROCUP<br><br>JE RÉPÈTE LA JL BOURG EST EN FINALE D&#39;EUROCUP 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/sCcjTyZ0QA">pic.twitter.com/sCcjTyZ0QA</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1775614478211559447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

One of the keys to Bourg’s success this season has been the way in which you never know which player will step up at any one time, which was exemplified by Salash’s big night.

Another bench player, [Axel Julien](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-julien/011161/), came up big with 11 points – the same total he had in Bourg’s 86-74 win in Game 1 – while back-to-back threes from [Maxime Courby](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maxime-courby/010450/), percentage-wise the sixth-best three-point shooter in EuroCup history (47.6%), saw Bourg make it 72-60 and then 75-60 in the fourth as the French side pulled away for good.

It all comes down to a single game, a one-and-done contest. Bourg returns to the comforts of its home floor, where it has a 10-1 record this season, while Besiktas boast one of EuroCup's best road accounts in 23/24 at 6-6, but whose dream ends here?

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Semifinals Game 3 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

There was even the chance for 40-year-old guard [Earl Rowland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/earl-rowland/000498/) to get some minutes late in the game, with the veteran netting his 400th two-point shot in the EuroCup, the fifth most all time. 

There has been so much talk about [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/), the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but Bourg regularly finds ways to come out on top. All eyes are likely to be on Risacher heading into the EuroCup Finals, but Paris should be warned: Bourg is a whole lot more than just its 18-year-old prodigy.

Game News

Axel Julien of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (right) is guarded by Marko Simonovic of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (left) in Game 3 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

An all-French finals series against Paris Basketball awaits

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2024-04-03T17:30:00.000Z)

Maksim Salash matched his EuroCup career high by scoring 19 points in JL Bourg-en-Bresse's Game 3 win against Beşiktaş Basketbol.

Maksim Salash had a night he and Bourg will never forget

All eyes were on [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/) heading into [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse’s win-or-go-home Game 3 clash against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-beats-besiktas-89-63-to-reach-the-eurocup-finals/) on Wednesday night, yet it was his teammate, [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/), who walked away as the hero.

 

The first half was a pretty tight affair, with Bourg leading 44-41 at the break, but Salash played a vital role in fighting off a Besiktas comeback attempt in the third quarter before the French side went on to win by a whopping 26 points, 89-63.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Y&#39;a pas de relâchement qui soit ! En défense comme en attaque, faut être pointilleux sur tous les fronts ⚔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/lRyFrAI9fB">pic.twitter.com/lRyFrAI9fB</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1775595129367044106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With [Bodian Massa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bodian-massa/012618/) having been ejected in the second quarter and [Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) in foul trouble early in the third, it was Salash who ensured that Bourg retained a threat inside, scoring 11 third-quarter points. He also played an important role in getting the Besiktas players to collect fouls, drawing three in the third period alone.

 

Come the end of the night, Salash had a game-high 19 points, matching the career high he set at ratiopharm Ulm in Round 9, in 19 minutes on the floor, in addition to 4 rebounds and 5 drawn fouls. Only Kokila (8) and [JeQuan Lewis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jequan-lewis/012617/) (6) drew more fouls than Salash from a Bourg perspective, and only [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/), who was ejected alongside Massa, could match his 5 from the Besiktas side of things.

Maksim Salash had a game-high 19 points as Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse beat Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-63 in Game 3 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

Maksim Salash's highlights vs. Besiktas

Salash, playing in his rookie EuroCup season, has shown that he is more than capable of playing at this level over the course of the campaign, yet he still retains a team-first mentality, something that is commonplace among the Bourg players.

“I guess I had the hot hand today, but it doesn’t matter, it’s a team effort,” Salash said afterward. “Everybody scored today for our team, so that says a lot. Our bench is very big – everybody is playing and contributing for the win.”

Maksim Salash of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse spoke to the media after his team's Game 3 triumph against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

Maksim Salash speaks post-Besiktas win

A tough-looking finals series against Paris Basketball awaits, but with Salash playing at this sort of level – and many of his teammates contributing, too – Bourg will certainly fancy its chances.

Maksim Salash looks to score for Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in Game 3 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

He stepped up big for his team in a do-or-die Game 3

JL Bourg-en-Bresse has made it to the EuroCup Finals after beating Beşiktaş Basketbol 89-63 in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal matchup.

Bourg beats Besiktas 89-63 to reach the EuroCup Finals

The BKT EuroCup Finals series is set after Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse defeated Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-63 at Ekinox on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal matchup. Bourg’s triumph means that it will face Paris Basketball in the finals in an all-French affair.

[Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) paced Bourg on the night with a joint career high of 19 points, while [Axel Julien](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-julien/011161/) added 11 and [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) and [Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) both chipped in with 10 apiece. [Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) was Besiktas’s lone double-digit scorer on the night, netting 18.

Game Videos

The game got off to a good start for Bourg as it opened a 7-0 lead, with Besiktas’s first points of the night coming almost three and half minutes into the first quarter. Besiktas was able to keep things close through [Kyle Allman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kyle-allman/011924/) and [Kerem Konan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kerem-konan/011379/), with [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/) having to go to the bench with two early fouls, but Bourg was able to get scores from multiple players, like Kokila, Julien and Salash, as it ended the first 10 minutes with a 23-21 advantage.

Besiktas tied the game on a couple of occasions in the second quarter as Needham and Mathews combined to cause problems for the hosts, but Mike hit back a couple of times to ensure Bourg stayed in front, 33-30. However, after Needham and Mathews combined to give Besiktas its first lead of the night, 35-37, there was a coming together between [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/), [Bodian Massa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bodian-massa/012618/) and Mike which resulted in Delgado and Massa being ejected from the game. Delgado got hit with an unsportsmanlike foul and a technical, whereas Massa was given a disqualifying foul. Five straight points to end the half saw Bourg lead 44-41 at the break.

[Jeremy Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jeremy-morgan/010431/), who was dealing with a bad ankle in the first half, reappeared for the second half and made quite the impression as he put Bourg 48-44 ahead, before foul trouble started to really affect Besiktas. Needham gave the Turkish side what proved to be its last lead of the game, 48-49, then not long after Mathews was called for his fourth foul, leading to a technical against head coach Dusan Alimpijevic. It looked as though it was going to become one-way traffic, but Besiktas’s bench guys, such as [Samet Yigitoglu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/samet-yigitoglu/011357/) and [Berk Ugurlu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/berk-ugurlu/003783/), used their hustle to keep things tight, with Bourg up 65-59 after 30 minutes.

[Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) went 1 for 2 from the free-throw line to start the fourth quarter, making it 65-60, but the wheels would soon fall off for Besiktas. Salash would score a layup, [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) netted a jumper and [Maxime Courby](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maxime-courby/010450/) struck a corner three to suddenly make it a 12-point game, 72-60. Then, Mathews fouled out and Bourg capitalized by draining back-to-back threes, first from Courby and then from [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/), 78-60. Simonovic was the next to foul out, before Coach Alimpijevic received his second technical and was ejected. Bourg coasted the rest of the way en route to an 89-63 victory, having held Besiktas to just 4 fourth-quarter points.

Zaccharie Risacher of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse shoots a three-pointer against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in Game 3 of their matchup in the BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

The French side pulled away in the fourth quarter to continue its magical journey

The BKT EuroCup Finals series is set after Bourg defeated Besiktas 89-63 at Ekinox on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal matchup. 

Game Center: Bourg makes the EuroCup Finals!

### [Bourg 89-63 Besiktas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-beats-besiktas-89-63-to-reach-the-eurocup-finals/)

The BKT EuroCup Finals series is set after Bourg defeated Besiktas 89-63 at Ekinox on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal matchup. Bourg’s triumph means that it will face Paris Basketball in the finals in an all-French affair. [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) paced Bourg on the night with a joint career high of 19 points, while [Axel Julien](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-julien/011161/) added 11 and [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) and [Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) both chipped in with 10 apiece. [Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) was Besiktas’s lone double-digit scorer on the night, netting 18.

Having defeated Besiktas, Frederic Fauthoux's men will fight against Paris for the EuroCup title

Bourg and Besiktas are set to play Game 3 of the semifinals, with the winner joining Paris in the BKT EuroCup Finals.

Preview: Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/194/#roster) | [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2324-sf-g3-game-notes-facts-bou-bes/) | [Breawdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/semifinals-breakdown-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-vs-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/tv-listings-ec/)

The 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals have come down to a single game, a one-and-done contest on Wednesday in which [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse will host Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/194/) for a right to play in the finals.

Bourg returns to the comforts of its home floor at Ekinox arena, where it has a 10-1 record this season, having won six of those games by double-digit margins, including [an 86-74 victory over Besiktas in Game 1](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/190/). The team's top scorer, [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) (13.0 ppg., 4.2 rpg.), shined in that series opener with 16 points and 6 rebounds,. He was joined by four other double-digit scorers that night, including [JeQuan Lewis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jequan-lewis/012617/) who had 14 points, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Besiktas, on the other hand, has been one of EuroCup's best road teams this season. Head coach Dusan Alimpijevic and his men have a 6-6 record away from home, including victories in one-and-done eighthfinals and quarterfinals games. But Besiktas used its home floor to tie this series on Friday, [beating Bourg 82-71 in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/192/) with [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/) and [Matthew Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/) scoring 17 points apiece, while [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/) collected 14 points and 9 rebounds. Mathews (15.1 ppg.) is Besiktas' top scorer and Delgado (12.0 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) is the competition's second-best rebounder.

The winner of this game will go on to face Paris Basketball in the best-of-three 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Finals, which are set to begin on Tuesday, April 9.

[Bourg Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/statistics/bou/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Besiktas Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/statistics/bes/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Zaccharie Risacher vs. Matthew Mitchell

Bourg opened the tie with an 86-74 victory, in which they never trailed after the opening minutes and led by as many as 18. Besiktas are hoping to level matters and may rely on Angel Delgado, who was their top performer in Game 1 with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul -Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse | Semifinals Game 2 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

This marks uncharted territory for both teams. Besiktas will try to become the third straight Turkish team to reach the finals, whilst Bourg seeks to become the first French finalist since Strasbourg in 2016, but which will gain the advantage in the opening encounter?

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Semifinals Game 1 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Bourg and Besiktas are set to play Game 3 of the semifinals, with the winner joining Paris in the BKT EuroCup Finals

It's win or go home for Bourg, Besiktas

Check out the Game 3 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members for the BKT EuroCup semifinals.

Semifinals predictions: Game 3, Bourg vs. Besiktas

### Bourg gives us an all-French final 

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

The more I ask myself questions about this series, the more confidence I have that Bourg will win. Does home-court advantage matter? Yes. Do I expect a third straight poor outing from Bourg's Zaccharie Risacher? No. Is there a more effective player in this series than Angel Delgado? No. Do I think Bourg is better prepared to slow him down in Game 3? Probably. Which team's bench has impressed more in the series? Bourg's. Is Jeremy Morgan due a break-out game? Probably. Is Bourg, which shot 39.1% from deep during the regular season, going to improve on its 33.3% from behind the arc in this series? I think so. Essentially, the more I examine what has happened so far this season and in this series, the more I am confident that we will have an all-French League final. My pick: Bourg by 8. 

### Besiktas does it again 

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

Anything can happen in Game 3. Besiktas has the experience and has survived three do-or-die games in this year's playoffs. Head coach Dusan Alimpijevic and playmaker Derek Needham know what it takes to reach the EuroCup Finals against all odds. It will not be easy for Besiktas, as Bourg has the home-court advantage and should prevail in Game 3. A team with no stars is always more unpredictable, as any player can step up at any given time. As many as seven Bourg players have reached double digits in scoring at some point in three playoffs games. It is all about imposing the right rhythm and wanting it more, and Besiktas has done exactly that against Dreamland Gran Canaria, in the second half against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, and in Game 2 of this series. Top scorer Jonah Mathews is 0 for 12 from downtown in the series and that will probably change, too. My pick: Besiktas. 

### Bourg makes history

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

A do-or-die series finale is any basketball fan’s dream, and I am sure we are set to see major drama in Game 3. Bourg worked all season long to be in this position, to have a home-court advantage in elimination games. For Bourg, that carries even more weight as the team has lost just one of 11 games at the Ekinox this season. Frederic Fauthoux’s troops have passed all the tests so far, won all the important games this season, and I think they win another one, downing Besiktas once again. My pick: Bourg.

### Besiktas will haunt Bourg

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

Here we are – Game 3! Bourg and Besiktas split the first two games of this semifinal series, with both teams winning at home, but I believe we'll finally see a road winner on Wednesday night. Besiktas has already shown in the playoffs that it can go on the road and win, defeating Dreamland Gran Canaria and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv on its travels in the eighthfinals and quarterfinals, respectively. Angel Delgado has been a monster in this series, averaging 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, and I think he'll play a pivotal role once more. I also expect to see a big game from Jonah Mathews as head coach Dusan Alimpijevic reaches the EuroCup Finals for the second time in three years with two different teams. My pick: Besiktas.

### Bourg silences the doubters

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

I have no choice here. I picked a Bourg-Paris final series in my bracket before the playoffs started. I'd be a fool to change horses now. But make no mistake, Bourg will have it tough. Besiktas upped its intensity in the second half of Game 2, pushed by their 15,000-strong crowd, and if the visitors can retain that defensive fervor, which they have shown on the road plenty of times before, this will be a grind-out game. Can Bourg win such a defensive battle? Of course. Not only does it have the league's second-best defense, but Bourg has won every game that mattered at home all season. Several home-team players are due for better performances than they've had to date in this series. The key will be how much Bourg can limit Besiktas big men Angel Delgado and Marko Simonovic and how well the hosts take care of the ball. Their talent and tenacity in the middle positions is a given. Bourg has been underestimated all season and just keeps on getting the job done. My pick: Bourg.

Check out the Game 3 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members for the BKT EuroCup semifinals.



Zaccharie Risacher’s name is already well-known but for different reasons in different parts of the world.

For the United States, he is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA draft.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1653488/zaccharie-risachers-first-big-test/)

The top prospect of the upcoming NBA draft and his team JL Bourg are facing their biggest challenge yet in the do-or-die Game 3 of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals against Besiktas

Zaccharie Risacher’s first big test

Beşiktaş Basketbol guard Jonah Mathews discussed this season and Wednesday's Game 3 clash with JL Bourg-en-Bresse in the EuroCup Semifinals.

Jonah Mathews, Besiktas: ‘We never quit!’

Hello! First, let me explain how we got to this point. This is obviously a historic club, but even just looking at the last two years – even last year, in fact – they were facing relegation. So for them, for the club, for the fans, they brought in a great coach like Dusan Alimpijevic, who is well respected around Europe. He has all of our respect and brought the team from relegation to third in the Turkish League, in addition to making a run in the EuroCup. During the regular season, we started off hot and fell off. We lost a couple of games and ended up being the last team to make the playoffs, which is fine.

But then we went to Dreamland Gran Canaria and beat that team; after that, we kind of gelled together more than we ever have. We were down to Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv by 21 points, then we went back to the locker room together and said: ‘We don't want our season to be like this. Do we want to just be a team that beat Gran Canaria and got to the second round, or do you want to make it all the way?’ It has just been an incredible ride. Turkish fans and the Turkish community, they are with you all the way. Especially this year. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul has a 20 million fan base in Turkiye. We saw what happened in the big arena \[Sinan Erdem Sports Hall\], what we could do when we are winning and when the fans are behind us. There was great energy and it just shows you how passionate our fans are. Earlier in the season we didn't have that many fans, but as we kept on winning and winning and winning, people kept coming out and supporting us. This last game was incredible, and if we win on Wednesday, which I'm positive we will, then it's going to be even crazier than that the final!

Jonah Mathews Top Plays of the 2023-24 Regular Season

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Jonah Mathews, Besiktas

Coach Alimpijevic and Derek Needham already had this underdog experience two years ago. Derek has been in Europe for a long time and he has seen a lot. I have only been in Europe for three years. I played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but just because I played there for one year, it doesn't mean you have all the experience in the world. I think Derek and especially Coach helped me change myself this year to be more mature on the court and get to this point. Derek has been here, Coach has been here, and they have been guiding us through it step by step. And just the way they handle things, you could just see he has been here before. We lost the first game in Bourg and he was very calm. He was like: ‘It's one game. I have been down in a series before. And I went to Partizan and won.’ It's one game, so that really like eased my mind after not playing so well in that game. Having Derek as a vet here to guide me and the team has really helped us a lot, too.

It is a love-hate thing when you lead a team in scoring and are one of the top players. The defense is focused on you a lot more, so sometimes it becomes harder to create shots, to get your own shot, to get open for shots. But my teammates do a great job of trusting me to make the right plays. They trust me down the stretch. They find me in the right spots to get my shot going, so I honestly give it up to them. And Coach, he gives me plays to not only create for myself but create for other people, so I like it a lot. My role at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was way different. Last year they brought me in just to score the ball because we had Nando De Colo, Dee Bost and a lot of guys who could do a lot of different things. This year, it was different when I first got here, having more responsibility on my shoulders. But as the season went on, it got easier and easier to lead the team. I understood what I'm supposed to do on the court.

"The last game is more a case of who wants it more."

It's Game 3 of the semifinals – do-or-die for both teams! In a series like this, with three games, the last game is more a case of who wants it more because you played each other twice. The first game is like a feel out game. We had never played there, we were obviously on the opposite side of the EuroCup bracket, so we never played them before. French basketball and Turkish basketball are way different – the leagues are different. French basketball is more up-tempo and athletic. The Turkish League is way more strategic and trying to find ways to beat teams without being athletic and stuff like that, so that is going to become really important in Game 3. If we can limit their transitions and stop their running, like we did in the second game, I think we will be fine. We’ve got to be aggressive and physical with them because they are a talented team. They have guys who could score if you let them, so I think we have to bring the same type of physicality we did in the second game, the same type of defense.

"We have to bring the same type of physicality we did in the second game."

And to be honest, our shots haven't been falling. I went 0 for 9 from three. One of our best shooters, Yigit Arslan, went 0 for 5. We missed a lot of open shots, layups, stuff like that, so our defense is clicking. But once our offense and defense click simultaneously, I think it will be very good for us. I think I'm going to play maybe in the same two pairs of shoes. I'm very superstitious, so I wore the red Kobes the whole time, but I had to change it up just to see. I changed them back in Game 2 and we won, so I don't know. I will probably start out in the black and change to the red. Or if we are going good, I'll stay with the black.

This will be our fourth do-or-die playoff game this season. So far, we have won all three. We have also been down this year a couple of times and came back. That's one thing about our team – we never quit! Once we get on that road of being aggressive and physical, then I think that's when we come alive, like did down 20 to Hapoel, which is a great team. They have really athletic, really talented guys and they have been together for a couple of years, so to come back from down 20 in a game like that, that just shows our resilience as a team and what we could do when we are all locked in and focused on one goal.

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I want this win really bad, as everybody does on the team, and it is not just a case of making it to the finals. It shows people for next year that wherever you go, if you come to Besiktas, you are a winner. You care about winning at this point. It's not about points. It's not about statistics. It's not about egos. It's not about any of that. It's about winning, showing that you are a winner and that your team can win – this is the biggest thing for us. Getting to the finals after not playing in the EuroCup for eight years would be huge for the club, and winning the EuroCup would be even bigger. For me, personally, it is just a big target on the résumé, for sure. Having these fans in the EuroLeague would be insane… really insane!!

The 26-year-old discussed this season and Wednesday's Game 3 clash with Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse

JL Bourg and Beşiktaş Basketbol face off in a do-or-die Game 3 on Wednesday night, with the winner set to face Paris Basketball in the EuroCup Finals.

JL Bourg vs. Beşiktaş Basketbol: A chance to write history 

If seeing two games of the BKT EuroCup semifinal series between Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul wasn’t enough, basketball fans are in for a treat on Wednesday night when the two teams meet for a do-or-die Game 3 at Ekinox.

So far, the home team has won each game in this series, with [Bourg winning 86-74 in France](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-beats-besiktas-86-74-in-semifinals-opener/) in Game 1 before [Besiktas came out on top, 82-71, in Turkiye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/besiktas-blasts-bourg-81-72-to-force-game-3/). Ekinox was packed for Game 1 as 3,500 fans showed up to cheer on Bourg, but Game 2 saw more than four times that number head to Sinan Erdem Sports Hall as 15,200 spectators were in attendance at Besiktas’s temporary home for the night.

Dusan Alimpijevic’s squad appeared to be boosted by that extra support, and it will hope to carry the momentum from Game 2 into Wednesday’s Game 3. Frederic Fauthoux’s side, however, has the chance to lean on home comforts once more, with Bourg going 10-1 on its home floor this season, including the postseason. While Besiktas’s record on the road is not as impressive, its 6-6 mark on its travels is not too bad, particularly considering that it knocked out Dreamland Gran Canaria and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv on their home floor en route to the semifinals.

### History at stake

Both Bourg and Besiktas are in unchartered territory when it comes to the EuroCup, with neither club having reached the semifinals before. Yet, a chance to appear in a first-ever finals series is an opportunity that does not come around too often. Bourg is just four years into its EuroCup journey, compared to 10 for Besiktas, although this is a fourth straight campaign in the competition for the French outfit and the first season since 2015-16 for the Turkish squad.

That said, Besiktas is led by the incredibly charismatic Alimpijevic, who shocked Europe by guiding Frutti Extra Bursaspor to the EuroCup Final in 2021-22 when it was a one-legged affair. Bursaspor ended up falling to Virtus Segafredo Bologna, but Alimpijevic has shown in the past that when a series is on the line, his team has a habit of stepping up – just ask Gran Canaria and Hapoel this season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📍Yarı final serisinin üçüncü maçı için Fransa’dayız. <br><br>🦅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurocup</a> <a href="https://t.co/bh4AiTvmiY">pic.twitter.com/bh4AiTvmiY</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1774876541194850776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bourg, meanwhile, is in uncharted territory but has shown that it is more than happy to accept the challenge. In fact, since Fauthoux was appointed as Bourg’s head coach in the summer of 2022, he took the club to its first EuroCup playoff appearance in 2022-23 before a first trip to the quarterfinals and semifinals this season. There’s been an upwards trend since Fauthoux arrived, and Bourg has no desire to stop any time soon.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Quand nous lisons vos commentaires, nous n&#39;avons qu&#39;une chose à vous dire : vous nous rendez fiers ! ❤️🤍<br>Continuons ensemble à faire un max de bruit, à véhiculer un max d&#39;ondes positives et à encourager l&#39;équipe. C&#39;est la période la plus croustillante de la saison ! ❤️‍🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tn2y3VB1DC">pic.twitter.com/Tn2y3VB1DC</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1774826231571054951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The players to watch

Much of the talk heading into this series surrounded Bourg’s [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/), the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, yet it has been his teammate [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) who has really caught the attention of many. Through Games 1 and 2, Mike is averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. Risacher, meanwhile, has posted averages of 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Another individual who impressed in the first two games of this series is [JeQuan Lewis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jequan-lewis/012617/), Bourg’s tenacious two-way guard. Lewis and Mike were the only Bourg players to score a double-digit number of points in Game 2 in Istanbul, with Lewis averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals so far against Besiktas. In addition to Mike, Lewis will be front and center as Bourg attempts to close out the series.

The top plays of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse duo Isiaha Mike and JeQuan Lewis in Games 1 and 2 of the club's BKT EuroCup semifinal series against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul.

Best plays of Mike, Lewis in Games 1 and 2

Interestingly, just three players netted 8 points or more in Bourg’s loss at Besiktas – Mike (19), Lewis (11) and [Bryce Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bryce-brown/012628/) (8) – whereas seven players did so during Game 1 back in France. There is a reason why home-court advantage is so key in the playoffs, and those numbers confirm that assertion; players feel more comfortable and, cheered on by a home crowd, are more likely to rise to the occasion.

What is perhaps even more intriguing is the fact that of the five Besiktas players who scored 10 points or more in Game 2 in Istanbul, four of them did so in Game 1. Therefore, there is reason for Besiktas to feel confident, with dominant center [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/) posting 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in this series, while [Matthew Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/) (13.5 ppg. against Bourg), [Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) (12.5 ppg.) and [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) (12.5 ppg.) have all shown that they can score against the French team's defense.

The top plays of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul center Angel Delgado in Games 1 and 2 of the club's BKT EuroCup semifinal series against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Delgado's best plays in Games 1 and 2

There is one big X-factor for Besiktas and that is the play of [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/). Following a 4-point showing in Game 1, Mathews responded in Game 2 by scoring a joint team-high 17 points. It is important that Coach Alimpijevic’s other scorers continue to score at a similar rate, if not better, but Mathews could turn out to be the factor that swings Game 3. He is certainly capable of lighting it up, but Bourg will not make it easy.

Which players will become heroes for their respective teams on Wednesday night? Only time will tell, but with a finals series against Paris Basketball on the line, expect to see a tough, gritty, hard-fought contest at Ekinox. Game 3 drama in the EuroCup — you've got to love it.

Zaccharie Risacher of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Matthew Mitchell of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in action during Game 2 of the teams' 2023-24 BKT EuroCup semifinal series.

Both clubs are looking to reach the EuroCup Finals for the first time