The Eurocup final was within reach for Bahçeşehir, but as seen in their previous four encounters with Gran Canaria, it was the minor details that determined the outcome, this time favoring the team from the Canary Islands.

Montenegrin coach Dejan Radonjić and our national team’s center, Marko Simonović, fell just short of achieving a remarkable milestone, yet they can take pride in their European journey.

“This season in the Eurocup has been exceptional for us, and I am very proud of my team,” Radonjić stated on the club’s website.

The Turkish side gave their all in the semi-final, just as they have in every match this season, but this time Gran Canaria’s players remained composed.

“Congratulations to Gran Canaria for their victory. It was another closely contested match, like all our encounters this season. Ultimately, it came down to a single basket, and we couldn’t secure the overtime,” remarked Radonjić, the former Buducnost player and coach.

The pivotal loss in Istanbul might have been influenced by the free throw performance…

“We missed five free throws in the final 10 minutes, and that cost us the game,” Radonjić concluded.

Bahçeşehir excelled as the top team in their group, which included Montenegrin champions Buducnost Voli, and went on to eliminate Cedevita Olimpija, coached by Zvezdan Mitrović, in the quarterfinals.

The “Red Dragons” notably dropped the match point for the finals during the second semi-final in Las Palmas when, with two seconds remaining (following four consecutive points by Simonović), they held a two-point lead but ultimately lost.

Gran Canaria, showcasing their resilience, will now compete for the title and a spot in the Euroleague against Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Both teams, like Bahçeşehir, were also part of the Buducnost group.

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