The hosts went 5-for-7 from deep in the last 10 minutes to finish it off
Three-point efficiency in fourth quarter gave Fenerbahce the win over ALBA
The final 90-73 deficit might give an impression that Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul cruised past ALBA Berlin on Thursday evening, but it took some effort and big shots dropping from deep in the fourth to down the visitors. Fenerbahce led for the majority of the game, but ALBA would not give up, keeping itself at arm’s length for the first three quarters.
In fact, Fenerbahce took a 16-11 lead after 10 minutes, but ALBA outscored the hosts 21-23 and 24-26 in the second and third quarters, respectively, bringing themselves within 61-60 heading into the fourth. That’s when Fenerbahce found its flow on offense, circulated the ball smoothly and went on a 22-4 surge to put the game to bed.
To do so, the Turkish side relied heavily on their competence from beyond the arc. Having made just 3 of its 15 three-point attempts (20.0%) in the first half, Fenerbahce went 2-for-4 in the third, but it wasn’t enough. The hosts stepped up their offense and shared the ball well in the closing quarter, where they made 5 of 7 from downtown to outscore ALBA 29-13.
“At the end of the third quarter, the fact is that the game became difficult, [but] we managed to play our best basketball and of course, it always helps when you hit some three-pointers,” head coach Saras Jasikevicius admitted in the post-game press conference.
Marko Guduric and Nigel Hayes-Davis nailed 2 triples each in the fourth, with Tarik Biberovic scoring one of his own, but it was Sertac Sanli who came to the fore from the off in a season-high night. Sanli netted 18 points, which is his highest tally this season. He also downed 3 rebounds, added 2 assists and drew 5 fouls – including two consecutive three-point plays that allowed Fenerbahce to open a 75-69 lead midway through the fourth.
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“He’s been doing great for us all year and like Saras says, every player has their games,” Hayes-Davis told EuroLeague TV after the duel. “It’s a long season, so every man will have an opportunity to have a game. I’m happy for him. He’s a very, very unselfish player for the team so it’s good to see him have a night where he’s the guy.”
Having recorded two wins in a row for the first time since Rounds 10 and 11, Fenerbahce will now look to build on their momentum heading into a tough double-round week. Saras’s side will play at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Wednesday before hosting Zalgiris Kaunas two days later and being clinical from beyond the arc could be key in their bid to extend their winning streak.