Dusan Alimpijevic reacts after ejection: 'Everyone saw what happened' / News - Basketnews.com

Alimpijevic was happy about the season and his players' effort but refused to further comment about his ejection when he cursed out the refereeing crew and left the game early, implying that everything could be seen with a naked eye.

Credit: Paulius Peleckis/BNS Credit Paulius Peleckis/BNS

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul's head coach, Dusan Alimpijevic, was ejected in the EuroCup semifinal game against Mincidelice JL Bourg-en-Bresse. His team went on to lose the all-deciding Game 3.

Player of the Game EFF 19 Maksim Salash Points 19 Accuracy 7-11 Rebounds 4 Assists 0

In a game full of tensions, Besiktas lost one of their leaders, Angel Delgado, in the second quarter already when he got into a conflict with Bourg's Bodian Massa. Delgado received an unsportsmanlike and a technical and had to leave the game early. Massa received a straight-up disqualifying foul for an attempted headbutt.

All but one Besiktas player received at least 3 personal fouls. In the end, head coach Alimpijevic was ejected as well.

The Serbian specialist cursed out the refereeing crew after an episode in the fourth quarter, received his second technical foul, and had to leave the contest early.

"Everyone saw what happened, so it’s unnecessary to talk about it," he said to Vuk-Milos Petrovic from Basketball Sphere. "

"I understand that Paris' ambition, and the whole organization's ambition, is to go to the EuroLeague, and they deserve to be where they are. But I assume that Besiktas, as the only club that has beaten them, wasn't exactly the most suitable opponent for them in the final," Alimpijevic declared, possibly with a hidden message. "It's very difficult to win at Sinan Erdem in front of 17,000 people, and in the other two games, who knows what could happen."

Besiktas entered the EuroCup playoffs from the 6th place in Group A and did not have a home-court advantage in any of the playoff series. The Turkish club was an underdog against Dreamland Gran Canaria, they were underdogs against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, too.

They were down by as many as 21 points against Hapoel but managed to come back and win the game in the second half. Although they lost to Bourg by 26, Alimpijevic was proud of his team.

"We didn't enter the EuroCup as favorites. We're talking about a club that narrowly avoided relegation in the Turkish Super League last season. We entered with ambitions to be more competitive, both domestically and in Europe, to attract good and young players who might want to find a place in the club from this beautiful city, to choose Besiktas over other environments. We succeeded in that," the coach said. "Even reaching the EuroCup playoffs wasn't a must. If it happens, it happens. I am very proud of this season, where much more was achieved than expected."

"We reached the EuroCup playoffs, one game away from the final, filled our arena, and did many great things. Everyone talks about the young players from other teams. Who among my players is in their prime, apart from Derek Needham? Only he has reached this level because he played in the EuroCup final. I have absolutely nothing to blame them for," Alimpijevic concluded.

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