In Game 4 of the Basketball Super League play-off semifinals, Beşiktaş Fibabanka staged a gutsy road win over defending champions Anadolu Efes, 75-64, tying the best-of-five series at 2-2. The berth in the final—where Fenerbahçe Beko already awaits—will now be decided in the winner-takes-all showdown on at Beşiktaş Fibabanka Spor Kompleksi.
Game Flow
The clash at the Basketball Development Center (Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi) opened with traded buckets. The visitors rode the interior presence of powerful forward Álara Terry, jumping ahead 9-6 by the fourth minute. The hosts answered through mid-range and long-range jumpers from Shane Larkin, yet the opening ten-minute stanza finished 23-18 in Beşiktaş’s favor.
Early in the second quarter, Jordan Nwora sparked Efes with makes from both mid-range and beyond the arc, but the black-and-whites kept the tempo: Yiğit Arslan, Adam Sleva and D.J. Needham dropped consecutive triples. With 55 seconds left in the half, Jaylen Allman scored in the paint to stretch the gap to eight—42-36. Beşiktaş hit the lockers in front 42-37.
After the break the navy-and-whites tried to pound the paint to cut into the deficit, but both teams were plagued by turnovers. Right at the buzzer of the third period Nwora buried an audacious three from near half-court, trimming the margin to three—55-52—heading into the final quarter.
Roared on by the crowd, Anadolu Efes reeled off a 6-0 burst, Diamond Oturu knotting the score at 58-58 in the 33rd minute with a close-range finish. Beşiktaş, however, stormed back with a telling 9-0 run of its own, capped by a clutch triple from Needham—67-59 with four minutes to play. The guests remained composed down the stretch and sealed the victory 75-64.
Statistical Details
- Arena: Basketball Development Center
- Referees: Ali Serkan Emlek, Özlem Yalman, Hüseyin Çelik
Anadolu Efes
| Player | Points |
|---|---|
| Shane Larkin | 13 |
| PJ Dozier | — |
| Doğuş Özdemiroğlu | 3 |
| Diamond Oturu | 15 |
| Will Willis | 2 |
| Rolands Smits | 6 |
| Tyrone Thompson | 2 |
| Ercan Osmani | 4 |
| Jordan Nwora | 19 |
| Erkan Yılmaz | — |
Beşiktaş Fibabanka
| Player | Points |
|---|---|
| Jonathon Mathews | 25 |
| D.J. Needham | 8 |
| Berk İbrahim Uğurlu | 2 |
| Adam Sleva | 8 |
| Álara Terry | 10 |
| Yiğit Arslan | 3 |
| Jaylen Allman | 7 |
| Evan Morgan | 12 |
| Philip Plavsic | — |
Periods: Q1 — 18-23; Half — 37-42; Q3 — 52-55; Final — 64-75
Fouled Out: 35:45 Terry, 37:33 Needham, 39:28 Sleva (all Beşiktaş); 39:28 Doğuş Özdemiroğlu (Efes)
What Comes Next?
The best-of-five semifinal reaches a Game 5 for the first time in six years. The decisive showdown between the eternal Istanbul rivals tips off at on Beşiktaş’s home floor. The winner will advance to face Fenerbahçe Beko, who secured its finals berth earlier.
After today’s confident road display and with the backing of their home crowd, the black-and-whites appear to hold the edge, yet the experience of European powerhouse Anadolu Efes could still prove decisive in crunch time. Can head coach Dušan Alimpijević and his men turn this momentum into the upset of the season, or will Efes’s pedigree prevail at the death? Basketball fans across Türkiye will find out very soon.
This report is based on official Basketball Super League statistics and on-site coverage.
