By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Lonnie Walker IV delivered a record-setting performance as Besiktas Istanbul came from 13 points down with fewer than four minutes remaining to defeat Virtus Bologna 103–101.
Walker finished with 30 points, four rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes, shooting 7-for-11 from three-point range. He surpassed his previous EuroLeague career high of 29 points and set a new single-game scoring record for Besiktas in the competition, beating Curtis Jerrells’ mark of 27.
“Very happy,” Walker said about his performance. “We definitely still have some things that we need to clean up to be better. We’re a heck of a team, and if we clean up the little things, we’ll make the game a lot easier for ourselves.”
Despite visibly limping at times, Walker helped drive the visitors’ late comeback. Virtus led 97–84 with 3:47 remaining, but his seventh three-pointer cut the deficit to 101–100 with 40 seconds left. Conor Morgan then hit the winning triple with 20 seconds remaining.
“It’s not just credit to me. Credit to Morgan for making big shots,” Walker added. “A lot of players stepped up in the fourth quarter, and that’s what it’s all about. It’s a team game.”
Besiktas secured the victory despite losing the rebounding battle 45–27, leaving Walker with a clear sense of how much room the team still has to improve.
“Like any team, there’s always going to be room for improvement. The fact that we came out with a win in this game shows how much we have left in the tank and how much we can improve,” he said. “If we fix some of the little things and keep doing what we do, we’re going to be a tough team to play against.”
Asked for a message to his new fans, Walker kept it simple.
“Hope you guys enjoyed the show. We’re just going to continue to build.”
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