Down bodies and down double digits, the Turkish side's resilience was on show in Vitoria-Gasteiz
Fenerbahce fightback win over Baskonia shows champion’s character
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 19 of 38
Regular Season
Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizKBA
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Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
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“Great character win for our guys,” said Saras Jasikevicius after Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul rallied for a 93-108 road win over Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Friday night. “I hope we continue having character, which is probably the most important thing in life, not just in basketball.”
With its home crowd in full voice, Baskonia dictated the tempo early and led for much of the opening period. A strong stretch from Talen Horton-Tucker, however, kept Fenerbahce within striking distance, and the teams went into halftime tied at 53-53.
Fenerbahce suffered a setback early in the second half when Horton-Tucker was ejected. He was later joined on the bench by Mikael Jantunen and Khem Birch, both of whom fouled out. Baskonia capitalized and briefly opened a double-digit lead.
The visitors responded quickly, closing the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take a narrow advantage into the final period. Carrying that momentum forward, Fenerbahce pulled away in the fourth behind timely shooting and closed out a comfortable victory.
As Jasikevicius noted, fight and spirit played a major role in Fenerbahce claiming the win. Despite multiple players being lost to fouls and ejections, the visitors seized control when it mattered most. Veteran forward Nicolo Melli echoed his coach’s assessment of the team’s character.
“We were down 10 when Talen got kicked out, and he’s a big player for us,” Melli said. “We stuck together and found a way back into the game. We’re usually known for our defense, but today we won with our offense, and that shows our character.”
The result moves Fenerbahce’s record to 12-6 and strengthens its postseason hopes, while Baskonia slips to 6-13. Head coach Paolo Galbiati acknowledged the quality of the opposition.
“I told you before that Baldwin and Horton-Tucker were in great shape, and they played amazing,” Galbiati said at halftime.
Horton-Tucker’s night was cut short, but Wade Baldwin once again delivered. The American guard starred for the road team, finishing with 24 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds for a PIR of 29.
It was not Baldwin’s first visit to Buesa Arena. The 29-year-old spent one season with Baskonia and had returned three times previously with other teams. Friday’s victory marked a personal milestone.
“This was my first time ever winning in this building outside of playing here,” Baldwin said. “Every time you come here, it’s a dogfight. These guys make every shot it seems, so it’s good to start the new year with a win.”
Baldwin had plenty of help. Melli knocked down four three-pointers on his way to 17 points, while Tarik Biberovic and Bonzie Colson each added 16. Horton-Tucker finished with 12 points despite his abbreviated outing. On the other side, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 20 in a losing effort for Baskonia.
Galvanized by the mental and physical toughness it showed in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Fenerbahce will look to extend its winning streak to four when it returns home to face Olympiacos Piraeus on Tuesday. Galbiati’s team will try to halt its three-game slide when it hosts FC Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
