Regular Season
Round 9 of 38
Regular Season
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
8167
LDLC ASVEL VilleurbanneASV
Overview
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Fenerbahce finds form, defeats undermanned ASVEL
Game Report
3 Mins read
“We’re happy to have won this game, following a disgraceful week last week,” said Wade Baldwin, minutes after his Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul overcame LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, 81-67.
Despite some extended periods of poor offense, the reigning champions eventually took care of business against a shorthanded ASVEL team.
Last week, the hosts put on a disappointing display against Real Madrid, scoring just 22 points in the first half on their way to a loss. Coming into this one, their record was 3-5 in this year’s EuroLeague campaign. Baldwin said that he believes the key to success was holding onto possession.
“It was much better ball control, for our team and for myself,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin stepped up as the headliner for Fenerbahce, recording 14 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Nicolo Melli scored 12 and was a board away from a double-double, while three more players scored in double digits.
The result was hard luck on Armel Traore, who kept ASVEL alive for a time, eventually leading in scoring with 18 points of his own.
Both teams made a brutal start to the game on the offensive end, logging just 2 points in the first 3 minutes. However, Fenerbahce earned a lead midway through the first and refused to surrender it throughout. Punctuating their superiority, American guard Devon Hall sliced through the lane and added an extra boost with a huge posterizing slam.
“Devon sometimes has this kind of spark,” said teammate Nicolo Melli. “So, it was nice to see it. He’s a great professional, hard work always pays off and you can see it with him. Not only in those moments, but how solid he is. It was a nice highlight!”
The hosts won the game in spite of some rare substandard shooting performances, such as Talen Horton-Tucker’s 2-for-11. One key stat that worked in their favor, however, was turnovers; Saras Jasikevicius’s men have averaged 14.5 per game this year, but managed to keep it to just 5 against at Ulker Sports and Event Hall.
“It’s very important,” stated Jasikevicius. “We are struggling offensively, but when you are not committing turnovers, at least you get a shot at the basket. In general, at this point, we just take the win, get home and try to get better.”
Fenerbahce will do exactly that, as it moves to 4-5 for the season and has the opportunity to earn a winning record with a double game week coming up.
ASVEL coach Pierric Poupet came out of this difficult loss with a sense of optimism. His team stepped up from a crushing 37-point loss last week and played with pride, despite missing key players such as David Lighty and Nando De Colo through injury.
“It’s been a tough moment for us, not only last week with the double game week, but we’ve struggled to have enough players to be competitive,” Poupet said before the game.
He carried the sentiment to the locker rooms after the loss: “I’m quite proud of the guys. We competed against a very good team, who will be near the top at the end of the season. Now we have to refresh, get players back and see what we can do. Let’s wait for another positive cycle.”
