Dusan Alimpijevic: We lost another player due to poor playoff scheduling

Postgame reaction after Game 2

Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic spoke after his team’s road loss to Fenerbahce in Game 2 of the Turkish Super League Finals. After pulling off an upset in the series opener, Besiktas hoped to repeat the surprise, especially when Fenerbahce’s coach was ejected early. Instead, the team’s performance dropped off and the series is now tied 1-1.

Injuries and the scheduling problem

Alimpijevic highlighted another blow to his squad: Jonah Mathews picked up an injury during the game and is now unavailable. That’s a tough setback on top of other players who aren’t at full strength, including Ismael Kamagate, Ante Zizic and Brynton Lemar. The coach pointed to the tight playoff calendar — games played back-to-back right after a long break — as a factor that’s costing the team players and momentum.

With the series shifting back to Besiktas’s home court, the club will have a shot to claim the title in front of their fans if they can take the next two matches. But with key bodies missing or limited, the challenge is clear.