Crvena Zvezda managed to surprise and defeat Fenerbahce, in Istanbul, in the 18th round of the EuroLeague by 85:76.
In this match, Fenerbahce couldn’t count on Dyshawn Pierre, while Crvena Zvezda was without one of their best players, Luka Mitrovic. In this match, Freddie Gillespie and Nikola Topic made their EuroLeague debuts wearing the jersey of Crvena Zvezda.
In the first half, Fenerbahce held the lead for most of the time, even having a double-digit advantage. However, with the brilliant performance of Joel Bolomboy, Crvena Zvezda managed to make a comeback, and the halftime score was 35:34 in favor of the home team.
Fenerbahce, with a brilliant performance at the beginning of the second half, hit several three-pointers and once again gained a double-digit lead. However, by the end of the third quarter, red and whites managed to pull back to a complete tie with improved defensive play, bringing the score to 57:57. However, the team from Belgrade managed to play fantastic defense in the final quarter, find rhythm in offense, make a big surprise, and defeat Fenerbahce in Istanbul by 85:76.
The top scorer in the winning team was Joel Bolomboy with 24 points, closely followed by Rokas Giedraitis with 19 points. In the defeated team, the standout performers were Nigel Hayes-Davis with 21 points, while Scottie Wilbekin scored 14 points.
For Crvena Zvezda, this was their 7th win in the EuroLeague this season out of 18 played games, while Fenebahce is now at a record of 10 wins and 8 losses. Fenerbahce is set to face Maccabi Tel Aviv in the next round of the EuroLeague, in a match that will be played in Lithuania, while Crvena Zvezda will play the eternal derby against Partizan at home.
FENERBAHCE – CRVENA ZVEZDA 76:85 (26:18, 9:16, 22:23, 19:28)
Arena: “Ulker Sports Arena”, Istanbul
Referees: Perez, Zamojski, Dragojevic
Fenerbahce: Motley 11, Wilbekin 14, Sanli 3, Papagiannis, Mahmutoglu, Hayes-Davis 21, Biberović 4, Guduric 3, Dorsey 8, Calathes 2, Madar 8, Sestina 2
Crvena zvezda: Teodosic 6, Hanga 12, Davidovac, Lazic 8, Tobey 3, Bolomboy 24, Ilic, Nedovic 7, Giedraitis 19, Gillespie, Topic 4, Dos Santos 2