The Turkish side is one win away from a return to the Final Four
Fenerbahce triumphs over Monaco 89-78 in Game 3
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul took a 2-1 series lead over AS Monaco, holding onto home advantage with a disciplined 89-78 victory on Wednesday.
The first quarter was evenly contested, with neither team leading by more than 4 points, before Fenerbahce pulled into a 47-40 lead at the interval. The advantage grew to double-digits towards the end of the third, but Monaco fought back and it was tight heading into crunch time. The host dominated the final exchanges, delighting a raucous home crowd with a big win.
Fenerbahce was led by Nick Calathes with 13 points and 5 assists, while Tarik Biberovic poured in 14 points. Marko Guduric (11), Scottie Wilbekin (11) and Nigel Hayes-Davis (10) also scored in double digits.
Alpha Diallo paced Monaco with a game-high 23 points, while Mike James paired 11 points with 7 assists. Jordan Loyd and Jaron Blossomgame both scored 11, and Donatas Motiejunas netted 10.
Game Videos
Motiejunas netted twice as the early scoring was evenly exchanged before Hayes-Davis and Tyler Dorsey struck from deep for a 10-6 edge. James netted his first basket with a mid-range jumper and then added a three-point play for a 13-13 tie. Biberovic and Jordan Loyd traded triples before Biberovic and James netted two-point finishes. Jaron Blossomgame also hit from deep, giving Monaco a 19-21 lead at the end of the first.
Guduric drained a three and added a fierce dunk, but Mam Jaiteh’s stickback kept Monaco close. Guduric was again on target, and Scottie Wilbekin added a triple for a 29-23 lead. Loyd responded 4 straight points before Dyshawn Pierre scored twice to keep Fener ahead, 36-31. Diallo’s mid-range shot was answered by layups from Georgios Papagiannis and Pierre, before free throws made it 43-37. Wilbekin’s backdoor layup, Matthew Strazel’s triple and Guduric’s layup completed the first half scoring, 47-40.
Motiejunas scored the first 4 points of the second half before Calathes and Diallo traded inside baskets. Calathes again scored inside but James hit back with a triple to make it 53-49. Diallo’s fastbreak jam was bettered by Hayes-Davis and Calathes from close range before Nate Sestina’s three was met by Diallo’s three-point play. Wilbekin also had a jumper and one, and scores from Sestina and Guduric made it a double-digit lead, 69-58, through three quarters.
Mid-range strikes from Diallo and Loyd boosted Monaco early in the fourth, but Calathes and Wilbekin struck for three either side of a Blossomgame alley-oop. The unstoppable Blossomgame added a dunk and a layup to make it 75-71, but Biberovic hit another triple and Papagiannis struck inside to settle the host. Diallo responded with a three-point play and a fastbreak jam, 83-78 with 3 minutes left. Biberovic hit a long two, and Papagiannis followed a dunk with a tip-in to pull the home team clear and seal the win.