By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Galatasaray secured a victory in the fifth round of Group I of the Round of 16 in the Basketball Champions League, defeating Hapoel Holon 87-74 in Samokov, where the match was played.
John Meeks had an outstanding game, finishing with 26 points. John Petrucelli added 13, same as Errick McCollum, along with six rebounds and four assists, while Bugrahan Tuncer and Fabian White contributed with 11 each. For the home team, Jordan McRae was the top scorer with 18 points, same as Adama Sanogo, who also had 11 rebounds, while Idan Zalmanson added 12.
The Turkish team managed to secure the win and is now one step away from advancing to the BCL Quarterfinals. The guests started the game better and had a significant lead by the end of the first quarter (17-4).
Hapoel Holon made a comeback, even taking the lead before halftime (31-29), but it wasn’t enough. Galatasaray managed to make an 11-0 run in the third quarter, pulled away again with a large margin (60-47), which they maintained until the end, securing two points.
Galatasaray is now at the top of Group I with a 4-1 record, and a potential win by Le Mans against Rytas in the other fifth-round match of this group would secure them a spot in the Quarterfinals. However, they will have the opportunity to do so themselves in the sixth round when they host Rytas.
On the other hand, Hapoel Holon is at a 0-5 record and will bid farewell to the competition with an away game against Le Mans in the final round.
Postgame press conference: