By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
They have been one of the favorites since the beginning of the season and tonight they have proved themselves worthy of that title. They were the best team, in terms of consistency and the quality of basketball that they often performed. At their home games they were dominant like no other team in the competition. And by taking full advantage of this, they managed to accomplish their dream in the end.
Ιn the hot atmosphere of “Abdi Ipekci”, Galatasaray defeated Strasbourg 78 – 67 and with an aggregate score of 140-133 in the Eurocup finals, they became the Eurocup champion. Along with the trophy, they won entry to the upcoming Euroleague season!
Stephane Lasme was named MVP of the Finals, after scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking the ball twice in this game. But his contributions goes beyond what numbers describe since he was pivotal in some key-defensive plays during the last quarter for his team.
Season MVP Errick McCollum also played a lead role in his team’s performance, scoring 14 out of his 16 points in the last 11 minutes of the game, jump starting his team’s engine in a moment near the end of the third period, when Galatasaray looked in disarray on offense.
But the player to charge in the game more aggressive than anyone was Sinan Guler (16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists). With 11 points in the first ten minutes, plus some brilliant play-making, the captain of the “Cimbom” held a double-axe during his team’s savage entrance that brought his team ahead in the score, 27 – 11 at the end of the period Having proven their ability to react in road games, time and again, Strasbourg turned out to be highly resistant to the hosts’ appetites, outscoring them in the second period for the halftime’s 43-35.
Although Vincent Collet’s players remained dangerous enough to heavily frustrated their opponents. they crumbled in the crucial last moments of the match. With the score 73 – 67, three minutes to go, and everything up for grabs, the French began making one rushed – to put it mildly- shooting choice after the other, completely losing sight of the basket. They never found it again.
And while Strasbourg looked panicked, the only thing that Galatasaray needed to do, was less errors than their opponents, slowing down the rhythm of the match and preserving their safe aggregate lead which then led to the prestigious trophy.
Mardy Collins was the best player of the French team with 16 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds, while Bangaly Fofana sometimes look menacing at the low post, finishing the math with 3 blocks, apart from his 9 points and 5 rebounds.