The second finals match of the Turkish basketball playoff series was marred with fights and discharges as Anadolu Efes clinched its second win over powerful rival Fenerbahçe Beko.
Saturday's 95-73 victory at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Arena gave fresh EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes a significant advantage in its 15th title bid. Rodrigue Beaubois scored 27 points to carry his team, the last champion before the 2019-2020 season was scrapped over the COVID-19 pandemic, to victory in the ING Basketball Süper Lig playoff finals.
Efes was ahead in all three periods with 23-19, 41-37 and 64-56 leads, respectively. In the fourth period, Efes first extended its lead by nine points at the 33rd minute. Fenerbahçe soon responded with a 7-0 series to narrow the gap to 73-71 in the 35th minute.
Efes power forward Chris Singleton and Fenerbahçe shooting guard Melih Mahmutoğlu were involved in a bitter fight with three minutes and 27 seconds left to the final whistle.
Both players were disqualified, alongside Fenerbahçe's Yiğit Onan, Ahmet Düverioğlu and Alex Perez. As Jan Vesely was disqualified four minutes earlier, Fenerbahçe Beko only produced two points in the remaining minutes against 22 for Efes.
Anadolu Efes had clinched a commanding 111-71 win against Fenerbahçe Beko Thursday in the opening game of the ING Basketball Süper Lig playoff finals.
As part of a Turkish tradition following domestic and European titles, flags of Anadolu Efes were hung on Istanbul's bridges crossing the Bosporus on Saturday.
Flags were hung on the July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, also known as the Bosporus Bridge, along with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and will be displayed for 10 days.
Meanwhile, fans also get to see their first EuroLeague trophy in an exhibition inside an Istanbul mall in the upscale Levent district.
