AS Monaco and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul go head-to-head for the second time with the Turkish team in control of the series after a thrilling 91-95 overtime triumph on Wednesday.
Monaco seeks to even series with Fenerbahce
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As so often this season, Nigel Hayes-Davis was the architect of that success, combining 19 points with 7 rebounds in nearly 40 minutes on the floor. A more surprising star was Nate Sestina, who hit 4 of his 5 three-point attempts to help Fener enjoy its usual excellence from beyond the arc, making 14 of 30 shots from deep.
Improved perimeter defense will be a priority for Monaco, which will also look for greater accuracy from its own deep game after going just 8-for-27 in Game 1. In particular, backcourt stars Mike James (1-for-6) and Elie Okobo (2-for-8) need to be more effective.
Two days after an overtime battle, fatigue could be a factor, so there might be important roles for some players who had fewer minutes on Wednesday. That includes Monaco's guard Jordan Loyd and big man Donatas Motiejunas, who both had foul trouble, and visiting big men Sertac Sanli and Georgios Papagiannis, who both played less than 10 minutes in the series opener.