Milano secured a win over Fenerbahce at the Mediolanum Forum by 77:76.
Milano started the game excellently at the Mediolanum Forum. They quickly established a significant lead, which reached double digits after five minutes of play when they led by 20:10. The home team continued to excel offensively, and by the end of the first quarter, they held a lead of 28:18.
The second quarter saw a similar situation on the court. The home players maintained aggressive defense, although they were not as efficient in scoring, they went into halftime with a lead of 43:36.
The beginning of the third quarter brought better play from Fenerbahce, narrowing the gap to 47:44. Then Milano responded with a series, re-establishing a double-digit lead of 59:46. Fenerbahce answered Milano’s surge, primarily through solid defensive play, with a 5:0 run, prompting a timeout from the home team’s coach. Going into the final 10 minutes, the home team held a 59:51 lead.
The last quarter began with a 5:0 run from the Istanbul team. Stefano Tonut then scored two crucial three-pointers for the home team, extending their lead by 65:59. Fenerbahce then switched to a zone defense with a “smaller” lineup, resulting in a turnaround to 69:68 after Scottie Wilbekin‘s three-pointer.
In the final moments, Fenerbahce took the lead at 73:70 after points from Tarik Biberovic and Marko Guduric. Nikola Mirotic stepped up, equalizing with a three-pointer. After Wilbekin missed a three-pointer, Shields restored the lead for the home team. Nikola Mirotic sealed the win with crucial free throws.
In the next round, Milano will visit Zalgiris, while Fenerbahce will host Alba Berlin.
Now, the Italian team joins Partizan, Valencia, and Anadolu Efes with 14 wins each.
MILANO – FENERBAHCE 77:76 (28:18, 15:18, 16:15, 18:25)
Arena: Medolanium forum, Milano
Referees: Peruga, Nedovic, Boubert
Milano: Poythress 9, Bortolani, Tonut 6, Melli 17, Napier 6, Flaccadori, Hall 7, Caruso, Shields 15, Mirotić 13, Hines, Voigtmann 4.
Fenerbahce: Motley 13, Wilbekin 15, Sanli 6, Papagiannis, Hayes-Davis 10, Biberovic 13, Noua , Pierre, Guduric 8, Dorsey 9, Calathes 2, Madar , Sestina.