Fenerbahce defeated Besiktas on the road with a score of 82:71 in Game 3 of the Turkish Super League final and took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Devon Dotson got Besiktas off to a strong start and was the driving force of their offense in the opening minutes of the game, while on the other side Khem Birch was efficiently finishing what his teammates set up for him on a plate. The tension was felt from the very first minute and grew even further after an argument between Melih Mahmutoglu and Anthony Brown midway through the quarter. Although Fenerbahce played well after that, it did not shake the black-and-whites, and Dusan Alimpijevic’s team led after the first 10 minutes (23:19).
Brown was the only player in rhythm and kept his team in the lead for most of the quarter, but Nicolo Melli and Devon Hall on the other side gradually started bringing Fenerbahce back into the game. The Italian forward even completed a full turnaround before halftime (43:40).
🏀 Mikael Jantunen ve Anthony Brown'dan karşılıklı üçlükler!#TSBSL #beINSPORTS pic.twitter.com/3G8DKUDhQ5
— beIN SPORTS Türkiye (@beINSPORTS_TR) June 17, 2026
The Birch-Melli-Hall trio gave Fenerbahce their first double-digit lead at the start of the second half. Besiktas managed to respond and cut the deficit to just four points, but then, at one moment, the referees failed to call an offensive foul. Alimpijevic reacted furiously and argued with them. The Serbian coach could not calm down over the decision, which resulted in two technical fouls and his ejection. Despite that, Besiktas did not give up. Even though they were again down by double digits, they fought back, but Melli hit a buzzer-beater to give Fenerbahce a solid lead (64:58).
Fenerbahce maintained their lead for most of the quarter, and their job was made easier when Wade Baldwin accidentally “took out” Dotson, one of the few players in rhythm for Besiktas, forcing the guard to leave the game. Powered by Hall and Talen Horton-Tucker, the team coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius pulled back to a double-digit lead and sealed the victory.
The most efficient player in the winning team was Melli with 17 points, while Hall added 15. On the losing side, Dotson stood out with 24 points and Brown with 20.
Fenerbahc now leads the series 2–1 in a best-of-five format, and the next game is scheduled for Friday at 19:00 on the home court of Besiktas.
