Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul gave its fans plenty to savor in the team's first home game under head coach Dimitris Itoudis, with a no-doubt-about-it 86-71 decision against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv that left the hosts sharing first place, at 2-0, with four other teams.
Calathes, Motley and Guduric took turns leading Fenerbahce
Those fans saw a new veteran, Nick Calathes, hit the floor for a steal in the opening minutes, then go on to dish 6 first-quarter assists and eventually flirt with a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.
"The good thing about our team is we have a lot of guys. So if one man is down, another is going to step up," Calathes said after the win. "I don't know our full capability, but I know we're very talented, and we have a lot of potential to be good."
In the third quarter, by which time Fenerbahce had established a double-digit lead, new center Johnathan Motley took charge, scoring 5 quick points and ripping several offensive boards, one of which he sent to Nigel Hayes-Davis for a three-pointer for the game's high lead, 56-36.
When Maccabi clambered back within 67-60 early in the fourth, it was Calathes again, hitting 2 three-pointers before a long-time fan favorite, Marko Guduric, took his turn, scoring 10 points in 2 minutes to put the game on ice at 83-66 with 3 minutes left.
If by that point Fenerbahce fans were left wondering who their team's new leader actually was, Itoudis had the answer for them.
"The leadership of this team is the team itself, with capital letters," he said. "If today it's going to be Marko, or tomorrow it's going to be Nick, another day it's going to be Mot, or it's going to be Carsen [Edwards] or Scottie [Wilbekin], or whoever it's going to be, they all wear the jersey of Fenerbahce. So, you've got to take each time what is given."
Hard-working superstars taking turns leading their team to victory is something that Fenerbahce fans will take, for sure.