Turkish TBL Finals series tied at 3-3

The Turkish TBL Finals is headed to a decisive seventh game after Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul evened their series against Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul with a 85-77 victory. Fenerbahce Ulker took an early two-game lead, but Galatasaray was able to claw their way back into the mix, taking two straight games. Fenerbahce produced a convincing 76-63 win in Game 5, but Galatasaray fought hard in Game 6 to pull out the win.

Galatasaray was paced by point guard Carlos Arroyo, who was instrumental in running their offense. The hosts got off to a hot start and amassed an 11 point lead at the end of the first quarter. Good ball movement allowed Galatasaray to find some open shots from three-point land and they were able to successfully capitalize on their advantage. They knocked down a total 9-of-12 triples for the game (40.9%), almost double of Fenerbahce Ullker’s 5-of-20 (25%). Galatasaray also had the upper hand when it came to free-throws made. They knocked eight more shots than the visitors at the line.

To Fenerbahce’s credit, they did rally in the second frame, countering Galatasaray’s offense with some easy shots in transition, which came off some turnovers they forced. Going into halftime Ferbahce Ulker managed to cut down Galatasaray’s early double-digit lead into a manageable 2-point margin. After the break Fenerbahce came out playing with much enthusiasm, hoping to close out the series. They found themselves up by two going into the final period. With their hopes for a title on the line, Galatasaray exploded in the fourth and smothered Fenerbahce Ulker into submission.

Carlos Arroyo and Zoran Erceg proved to be the one-two punch combo that Galatasaray needed in this match. Each player scored 19 points. Both players combined for five of the team’s nine converted triples. Arroyo also took care of handling the offense, sharing the ball with his teammates via handing out nine assists for the night. British import Pops Mensah-Bonsu took care of business in the paint, contributing 16 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. Cenk Akyol did an excellent job on both ends of the floor with 12 points and three steals to his name.

Emir Preldzic led the visiting team with 19 points. He shot 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line. Bojan Bogdanovic added 15 points, while Linas Kleiza and Luka Zoric chipped 11 points apiece.

Game 7 is scheduled for June 19. The team that wants that trophy more and executes their game plan better will be able to take home the coveted title.