Galatasaray are back in the Euroleague next season after they overcame Strasbourg 78-67 to complete a 140-133 aggregate win and claim the 2016 Eurocup title.
After losing the first leg 66-62 in France, Galatasaray knew that they had to perform in front of their home crowd in Istanbul and they duly delivered, racing to an 11-2 lead early on, forcing Strasbourg into a timeout before settling for a 27-16 first quarter cushion.
The French side though came back in the second quarter to narrow the aggregate score before the hosts, roared on by a 11,400 sell-out crowd inside the Abdi Ipecki Arena stormed back and eventually, they scored the final five points to claim the win, the title and a place in next season’s Euroleague.
Hello @Euroleague !!!!! Did you miss us?
— Sinan Guler (@sinanguler) April 27, 2016
The win also marks the first trophy that Galatasaray have won in just over 105 years.
“I am proud of all of my guys, all of my players,” Galatasaray coach Ergin Ataman said.
“They are part of the history of one of the biggest clubs in the world. This is a big result in Galatasaray history, the first Eurocup in Turkish basketball history. Galatasaray fans are great.”
Stephane Lasme scooped Finals MVP honours with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Eric McCollum also added 16 for the victors.
I was surprised [to be named Eurocup Finals MVP],” Lasme said. “I don’t really play for those personal awards. I’m grateful I got it, but I think it was more a team effort. Everybody participated. My teammates made me look good. I made a lot of mistakes sometimes and my teammates make me look good. So I think this trophy is more for my teammates and the organisation than for me.”
Mardy Collins paced Strasbourg with 16 points and five assists. Louis Campbell amassed 10.
