The 2017 champion will play at the Final Four for the first time in five years
Calathes, Biberovic shined on unforgettable night for Fenerbahce
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul will take part at the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after becoming the first road team to win a Game 5. The 2017 EuroLeague champion couldn't have achieved the victory without young gun Tarik Biberovic and veteran playmaker Nick Calathes, who stepped up big at Salle Gaston Medecin.
Biberovic came off a weak performance in Game 4, getting 3 points on 1-of-8 shooting. In a do-or-die situation, Biberovic showcased his shooting skills, especially in a critical moment late in the third quarter when Monaco took a 55-48 margin.
Fenerbahce was searching for a go-to guy and Biberovic delivered, hitting a jumper and a couple of three-pointers to put his team in charge, 55-56, at the end of the third quarter. Even though Biberovic could not finish the game due to injury, he had put Fenerbahce on the right track to win the game.
Calathes added to his legend
It was also the first Game 5 to go to overtime. Once in the extra period, Alpha Diallo gave Monaco a 77-74 lead in the penultimate minute of the contest. Calathes then decided to take matters into his own hands.
First, the 35-year-old buried a corner three-pointer to tie the game. When Mike James put Monaco in charge again, Calathes struck from downtown for a 79-80 score with 19.4 seconds remaining. To cap things off, Calathes got a key deflection, diving for the loose ball to force a jump ball situation with 2.5 seconds remaining to all but seal the outcome.
Calathes ended the night with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. As for Biberovic, he had 13 points on 3-of-3 three-pointers and 5 rebounds in less than 20 minutes on the floor.
They both provided the character and firepower Fenerbahce needed to win the series.
"I cannot comprehend the emotions I'm feeling. I'm really happy and proud of my team," Biberovic said after the game. "Everybody put amazing character in the game.
"This is the first time in history somebody did something like this. It went down to the [final possession]. It required a lot of concentration and everything. And we did it really with amazing character. I'm really proud of my guys."
"It was a hell of a series. Hats off to Monaco," Calathes commented after the game. "First and foremost, I'm happy for my guys. We worked all year. We went through adversity. It was huge for us today. I can keep speaking, but I'm just very excited about going to the Final Four and doing it with these guys and this club."
Fenerbahce is set to face Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the EuroLeague Semifinals, although head coach Saras Jasikevicius had bigger fears after the game.
"The next step is how to land this plane in Istanbul!" he joked with a big smile on his face. "How are we going to take that plane down? I have no idea. But this flight home has to be legendary. Yellow Nation, get ready for Berlin!"