By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Two hosts, two teams with better records than their opponents in the Regular Season, fell at the start of the EuroLeague Playoffs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv won in Athens against Panathinaikos AKTOR, and now Fenerbahce Beko took down Monaco on the road.
Four quarters weren’t enough for Sasa Obradovic and Sarunas Jasikevicius’ players to find the winner, so the game went to overtime, where Fenerbahce was better and secured a big road win with a final score of 91-95 at Gaston Medecin Hall.
Nigel Hayes-Davis led the winning side with 19 points and seven rebounds for a PIR of 23. He and Nick Calathes were crucial in the final moments, with the experienced Greek guard scoring 17 points.
Nate Sestina played one of his best games in the Fenerbahce kit with 16 points and six boards, making crucial moves in the third period when Fenerbahce caught up with the opponent. Marko Guduric was good for most of the match with 11 points and five assists but missed the game-winner in the fourth period.
“We almost lost; we couldn’t close out the game from the free-throw line. We gave up too many offensive rebounds and committed some ridiculous fouls. Despite the win, there are many lessons we need to learn. We must not make these mistakes again.” Hayes-Davis is a bit critical of his team’s performance despite the victory.
On the other hand, Elie Okobo scored 19 points, Mike James added 16 with four assists, and Jordan Loyd scored 16. Alpha Diallo scored 10 points, while Donatas Motiejunas added 12.
Fenerbahce trailed by 14 points in the second period but narrowed the gap to seven. Still, Monaco led 46-37 with minimal turnovers at halftime. Fenerbahce rallied to trail in the third quarter by just one point, 61-60. Monaco maintained low turnovers, while Nathan Sestina made a good effort for the visitors.
Even though Monaco took a nine-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Fenerbahce refused to go down and turned the score around with two minutes on the clock. They even led 76-80, but Monaco managed to respond in the final moments and reclaimed the lead. However, Guduric had a chance to end it with the buzzer but missed the layup, and overtime ensued.
In the added five minutes, Calathes and Hayes-Davis took over, hitting consecutive three-pointers. Fenerbahce grabbed control and managed to repel Monaco’s final attempt to get back.
“Seris is just getting started”
Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius was pleased with the win, but he admits his players still have a lot of work to do.
“Mentally, we must be ready as if we have four more matches ahead of us. Monaco is a really good team; they know what to do on the field. Taking them out of their comfort zone is not an easy thing. That’s why I greatly respect our players; most of our players today have stayed on the field for long periods. In the last part, we reduced our turnovers and paid attention to rebounds, and our shots went in. Especially in the extension section. We created the opportunities we wanted. However, the series is just getting started,” Jasikevicius said.
Sasa Obradovic is not disheartened; he believes his team can bounce back.
“Surprises are possible, especially in the first game. Last season, we saw that Fenerbahce could produce results with a small-ball roster. We read some situations well in defensive switches but gave up too many threes. There’s no question about how comebacks happen in these kinds of games. We’re aware of our situation, and it’s up to us to secure the next game, win, and show character. I believe we’ll show a good reaction,” Obradovic said.