It took 45 minutes, but Neven Spahija’s side finally managed to get the victory over the line.
Reyer kept its playoff hopes alive with OT win over Besiktas
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Umana Reyer Venice came into Wednesday night’s clash against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul with the sole objective of snapping its four-game losing streak and getting its BKT EuroCup campaign back on track.
The Italian team’s last few results had left it behind in the playoff race and another defeat could have been costly for head coach Neven Spahija and his troops. However, Reyer hit the ground running against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and demonstrated in the first half that it was there to fight until the end.
A strong start... before Besiktas responded
It was quite the start for Spahija’s group, as Reyer scored 52 first-half points against the second-best defense in the BKT EuroCup, with Besiktas coming into the game with an average of 75.2 points conceded per contest.
Besiktas boss Dusan Alimpijevic expected a reaction from his side after Reyer took a 52-38 lead into the second half – and his team delivered. Despite having trailed by as many as 18 in the second quarter, Besiktas turned the game around and even led by 80-86 with 01:50 left on the clock in the closing quarter.
However, a couple of three-point plays from Jordan Parks and Kyle Wiltjer, as well as a Rayjon Tucker triple, allowed Reyer to tie the game at 89-89 and send it to overtime. The Italian side outscored its opponent 17-7 in the next 5 minutes to secure a 106-96 win, which was its first victory in five games.
“I think we deserved this win,” Spahija said in the post-game press conference. “In the first half we played well and we were better than them. It was a difficult game, but we found the energy to win this battle. I think the key to the game was our depth on the bench. Now everyone understands how difficult it is to play without players in the rotation. With this roster, we have more chances to play better basketball."
A star performance and a notable debut
Marco Spissu returned from injury after missing the last two games and netted 17 points, including some big triples. Wiltjer produced an MVP-of-the-Round outing by recording a career-high 32 points for a career-best PIR of 39, having gone 7-for-11 from deep.
New signing Max Heidegger didn’t make his debut, but one player who did get the nod was Mfiondu Kabengele, who stood out in his first-ever game for Reyer. Kabengele paired his 14 points with 7 rebounds and earned Spahija’s praise, along with Wiltjer.
“The key to the game was the outstanding performance of Kyle Wiltjer and the big impact of Kabengele,” added the Reyer boss in the post-game flash interview. “Also, there were other players, each of whom did something to win this game.”
An exciting end to the season
With its victory over another playoff contender, Reyer showed that it should not be disregarded in this exciting battle for the playoffs. The Venice-based club is currently seventh in Group A in the EuroCup with a 5-9 record, while sixth-placed Prometey Slobozhanske – the team in the final playoff spot – sits at 7-7.
“We are fighting for our lives, so to get the win was the most important [thing],” commented Wiltjer. “We’ve had a tough season in the EuroCup, but we’re going to continue fighting and make our fans proud. We can’t control the past. We can only control the future.”
With four games to go, anything could happen as Reyer plays at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana before hosting Wolves Vilnius and Prometey, with its final regular-season contest taking place in Germany against Veolia Towers Hamburg.
This overtime triumph over Besiktas will surely provide Spahija’s men with a boost in morale and could also serve as a springboard for a bounce-back reaction as the regular season draws to a close.