Beşiktaş head coach Dušan Alimpijević pointed to defensive adjustments in the final period as the decisive factor after his side secured a 92-84 road victory against Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, according to a report by duhuliye.com.
Defensive Turnaround Secures the Road Win
Alimpijević praised his players’ competitive drive and singled out their ability to shut down Baskonia’s perimeter shooting in the game’s concluding stretch. The Serbian coach noted that his team conceded only 13 points in the final quarter, altering their defensive scheme after a shaky first half to deny the hosts clean looks at the basket.
“Today we both stopped Baskonia’s three-pointers and played with great energy,” Alimpijević said, as reported by duhuliye.com. “I am truly proud of the kids. They really wanted to win today, you could see that. In the second half, we changed our defense and gave up only 13 points in the final quarter. We played great defense in the most critical part of the match.”
Records from the floor showed Baskonia managing just three successful three-pointers at a 15 percent conversion rate. Alimpijević acknowledged the difficulty of containing a skilled shooting team, noting that Beşiktaş stepped up its aggression in one-on-one matchups and around screens to disrupt the home team’s rhythm.
Foul Trouble Sets an Unwanted EuroLeague Benchmark
Beşiktaş sent Baskonia to the free-throw line 29 times during the game, a statistic the coach identified as a EuroLeague record.
“Of course I am not saying the referees were at fault, this is entirely our fault. I think by sending them to the line 29 times we broke a EuroLeague record. Naturally, this is on us. We have to be smarter in upcoming matches.”
The tactical lapse at the charity stripe overshadowed an otherwise solid three quarters of defense, though defensive intensity dipped notably during the second period before the visiting side recovered its composure down the stretch.
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