The 23-year-old was his team's leading scorer in Game 3
Biberovic stepped up for Fenerbahce in victory over Monaco
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had an unexpected hero on Wednesday night, as Tarik Biberovic led the Turkish team’s scoring with 14 points to propel an 89-78 victory over AS Monaco which leaves Saras Jasikevicius’s team one win away from the Final Four.
Biberovic came into the game with an average of just 6.8 points, having featured sparsely in the opening two games of the series with averages of just 2 points, 12 minutes on the floor and a PIR of minus 3.5
But the 23-year-old forward stepped up to play a crucial role in Game 3, shooting with good efficiency as he made 2 of his 3 two-point, 2-of-5 from three-point range and all 4 of his free throw attempts. He also added 1 assist, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in nearly 20 minutes on the floor, adding up to a PIR of 15 – his joint-third best of the season.
That effectiveness was not too surprising when you consider that Biberovic leads the league in three-point shooting percentage, making 55.2% of his shots from deep. Indeed, his first shot of the game was a converted three-pointer, while two of his two-point shots were very close to the line to underline his scoring ability from deep.
Biberovic, now in his sixth season in the competition, was definitely not getting carried away with the victory, as he approached his postgame television interview with the same serious focus that he displayed throughout the game, saying: “I’m really happy but we have one more game on Friday, that’s where my focus is.”
That sense of purpose was evident throughout Fenerbahce’s professional and well-executed performance, and Biberovic made it clear that his team will take nothing for granted on Friday as he concluded: “It's a physical series, we really prepare for this, every ball is important, every second is important, every detail is important.
“That’s all we’re thinking about right now, possession by possession and minute by minute to go for the Final Four.”
If Biberovic gives the quality possessions and minutes that he provided for his team in Game 3, the celebrations could be a lot more raucous on Friday.