Fenerbahce defeated Asvel by 101-84 in the fourth round of the EuroLeague. The French team managed to squander an 18-point lead.
Joffrey Lauvergne scored the first points from a transition play. On the other hand, Marko Guduric also made his mark. The French center had an excellent start, scoring seven of the first nine points and giving Asvel an early 15-6 lead. Fenerbahce was off to a shaky start, shooting 0/5 from beyond the arc, while Asvel took a double-digit lead. Scottie Wilbekin finally made the team’s first three-pointer, and Paris Lee responded in kind. By the end of the first quarter, the French representative led 28-16, shocking all present.
Asvel went up by 14, with Fener being kept in the game by Yam Madar and Dyshawn Pierre, who quickly scored five points. Nando De Colo then showed his skills, making two free throws to bring Asvel’s double-digit lead back. He then delivered two excellent assists. The French extended their lead to 15 points, and the score was 40-25, then reached 18. The ‘Canaries’ then narrowed the gap to 12 points with points from Wilbekin and Pierre. T.J. Parker’s team was on the verge of an upset as Frank Jackson scored 9 straight points and brought the margin back to 13, with the halftime score at 55-42 in favor of Asvel.
Asvel made it clear they wouldn’t give up. The first play of the second half was an alley-oop connection between Lee and Lauvergne. Nick Calathes then made his mark. Fenerbahce capitalized on mistakes and finally cut the deficit to nine points.
Calathes was crucial, stealing the ball, assisting teammates, and hitting a critical three-pointer, followed by a three from De Colo. Fener then reduced the margin to five points, and Asvel was in danger. The ‘Canaries’ closed the gap to just one point, but Mike Scott hit an incredible off-the-backboard three-pointer. Jonathan Motley also came to life in this quarter, and Fener finally took the lead. Nigel Hayes-Davis then hit a three-pointer, and Dimitris Itoudis‘ team had a two-point lead heading into the final quarter, thanks to a buzzer-beating layup by Jackson.
The last quarter started nervously on both sides. Jackson scored the first basket of the period, followed by Biberovic hitting a three-pointer from 8.5 meters out. Then both teams went through a scoreless stretch, and Lee received a technical foul, his fifth foul. Hayes-Davis ended the scoring drought with his third three-pointer. Then Madar hit a crucial three-pointer, and Fener took a nine-point lead. Biberovic then hit his fourth and decisive three-pointer, sealing the deal with a final score of 101-86.
The best player for Fenerbahce was Scotie Wilbekin, who had 18 points, followed by Biberovic with 17, shooting 5/8 from beyond the arc. The contribution of Nick Calathes, who was close to a triple-double, should not be overlooked. On the other side, Frank Jackson scored 25 points. Fenerbahce’s next opponent is Bayern, while Asvel will try to secure a win against Virtus.
FENERBAHCE-ASVEL 101:86 (16:28,26:27,30:15,29:16 )
Arena: “Ulker” Sports Arena Referees: Boltauzer, Trawicki, Baena
Fenerbache: Guduric 14, Wilbekin 18, Hayes-Davis 14, Motley 15, Biberovic 17, Calathes 7, Pierre 7, Madar, Papagiannis 2, Sanli.
Asvel: Fall 7, Jackson 25, Lauvergne 11, Lee 9, Lombahe- Kahudi 6, Dallo, De Colo 11, Egbunu 4, E. Jackson, Ndiaye, Scott 5, Yaacov 2