By Aris Barkas / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce BEKO had to host two opponents from Israel, Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv, in Munich, and when it was all said and done, the result was positive.
The stands in SAP Garden were filled by Turkish fans, Fenerbahce got two wins, and Sarunas Jasikevicius was happy.
Not because of the three-win streak his team is having, but as he said in his post-game interview to EuroLeague TV, because of the way his team played: “A three-win streak is nice. But I don’t really care about streaks. I think we looked like a real team today, which is more important to me.”
Speaking about the win over Hapoel Tel Aviv, which remains on top of the EuroLeague standings, Jasikevicius added: “Offensive rebounds and second-chance points were crucial for us in this game. Our opponent also tried to prevent our first option by switching. As I said at halftime, we struggled for two quarters at the beginning of the game. But that’s not the point. We saw a great fight from our players today. We played defense, and when things weren’t going well, we kept ourselves afloat with offensive rebounds. Hapoel also made some very difficult shots, and they’re a quality team”.
Asked about the contribution of Onuralp Bitim, who had seven crucial points in a close game, Saras explained that it’s not only about points: “Onuralp’s contribution is something we expect from our players. Players may not always be able to score and get involved in the game. But that energy, those dives for the ball in the middle, and those steals can also change the game. He prevented them from scoring six points under the basket in the first half. I hope he understands more and more what we expect from him every day”.