By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS – Wade Baldwin IV reacted to Fenerbahce Beko falling to Olympiacos in the Semifinals of the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad, in Telekom Center Athens, on Friday. Talking to Eurohoops, he reflected on the rough start during the first three quarters and what went wrong as Olympiacos maintained their momentum.
“They played their style of basketball. They executed what they needed to do both offensively and defensively, with a more physical team. Our early foul trouble made us a little bit softer at the beginning of the game. We had to try to find a way to push through that, and they kept the lead the entire game and won,” explained the 30-year-old combo guard.
When asked about head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’s post-game flash interview assessment that Olympiacos played like themselves while Fener failed to do so, Baldwin agreed with the sentiment. “Yeah, I think we saw one of our worst, worst sides today of the season,” he told Eurohoops. “We’ve definitely played better basketball throughout the course of the 43 games we’ve played this season, but in the Final Four, you need to be able to play your best game, and we didn’t.”
Addressing the offensive struggles, particularly the cold perimeter shooting where his side netted just 8-of-36 from the three-point line, Baldwin discussed how it impacted their performance. “It’s a game about making shots, of course. We didn’t shoot very well from the perimeter, and they’re a great offensive rebound team and defensive rebound team. So when they’re able to get that and have extra possessions, it makes the game tougher,” noted the New Jersey native.
Looking back at the definitive factors of the matchup and whether it was a game that Olympiacos won rather than Fenerbahce lost, he viewed the outcome as a combination of both. “You have to give respect, obviously, to the team that won. I believe in some ways we beat ourselves and in other ways Olympiacos, flat out beat us,” he noted.
Baldwin finished the night with ten points, six assists, five rebounds, and one steal. Following the unsuccessful defense of their EuroLeague title, the Istanbul outfit now focuses on the Playoffs of the 2025-26 Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi, starting a best-of-three series opposite Safiport Erokspor in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday.
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