The Turkish team delivered a strong all-round game to down Olympiacos
Defensive discipline and ball movement helped Fenerbahce stay red hot
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Regular Season
Round 23 of 34
Group Regular Season
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We always knew that Friday’s meeting between Olympiacos Piraeus and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul – first against second – would be something special, particularly as both teams headed into the game in great form: Olympiacos on the back of seven straight wins, and Fenerbahce looking to make it five consecutive victories.
And when the scoring started with Sasha Vezenkov draining a triple before Nigel Hayes-Davis sank a mid-range strike at the other end, it looked like the stars were coming out to play for a scoring showdown.
However, that opening flurry from two of the league’s leading MVP candidates proved to be a false dawn, because this was a Rivalry Series battle played at a slow pace and dominated by defenses. And specifically, Fenerbahce’s.
The Turkish team powered its way to victory, becoming only the second visiting team to win in Piraeus this season, by smothering the Reds with a stifling blanket that held the hosts to their second-lowest points tally at home, and a scoring total more than 10 points below their season average.
Faced by Fenerbahce’s organization, discipline and hustle, the home team particularly struggled to attack the interior, making just 16 of its 38 attempts (42.1%) from inside the arc – well down on its season average of 56.3% from two-point range. Notably, the Reds converted far more free throws (30) than field goals (21), with Fenerbahce repeatedly refusing to allow the home team to find its offensive rhythm and instead forcing the Reds to the foul line.
Only two Olympiacos players could score in double digits, with Evan Fournier netting 21 points and Sasha Vezenkov 19, and even they had to make much of their contribution from the line, respectively scoring 7 and 8 free throws.
Visiting guard Devon Hall confirmed that was all part of the plan, explaining in his postgame interview with EuroLeague TV: “Our defense was about making them take tough shots. They missed some open ones, so we got lucky with that. It’s not an easy place to play, so it feels good to be able to come here and get a win.”
Fenerbahce also outmatched Olympiacos’s strong physicality by holding the home team to just 6 offensive boards, while grabbing 9 at the other end through six different players, and winning the overall rebounding battle 36 to 27.
And on the offensive, the Turkish team delivered consistent productivity to register solid shooting stats of 21 of 32 from two-point range (65.6%) and 11 of 32 from deep (34.4%). Coach Saras Jasikevicius was particularly pleased with the ball movement that led to 21 assists and made many of those conversions possible.
“It’s not easy to play over here,” he said. “Olympiacos doesn’t really let you play your own basketball, but I thought for some moments we were there.
“When we move the ball, when we don’t hold the ball, we are putting up good offensive numbers and creating shots. For these moments we were great. It’s not easy, they have great physicality, they’re ready defensively, so it’s a big win. We have to be proud and happy."
Proud, happy, and rising rapidly towards the top of the standings.
