Fenerbahce (18-11) coach Sarunas Jasikevicius goes up against his former team Barcelona (20-9) for the first time in a major matchup in the top four race.
Game Notes: Fenerbahce vs. Barcelona
The Turkish team has been unstoppable at home recently, winning six in a row and setting its club record for scoring in each of the last two games, including a 118-88 destruction of Valencia last week. A key battle will take place in the backcourt between two iconic point guards, as all-time assists leader Nick Calathes confronts the legendary Ricky Rubio, who showed he is getting back to his best by providing 7 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds in last week's win over Partizan. Fenerbahce will be targeting a win of 9 points or more to claim head-to-head advantage after losing 89-81 at Palau Blaugrana in December behind 21 points and 9 rebounds from Willy Hernangomez.
- This is Fenerbahce head coach Saruans Jasikevicus's first game against his former club. Jasikevicus coached Barcelona the last three seasons and made Final Four appearance in each of them, including the 2021 championship game. Jasikevicius also played at Barcelona for three seasons at the turn of the century, helping the club win the 2003 EuroLeague championship.
- In Round 13, Barcelona beat Fenerbahce 89-81 with Willy Hernangomez posting career-highs in points (21), two-pointers made (10) and rebounds (9).
- In November 2020 at Palau Blaugrana, with Coach Jasikevicius on its bench, Barcelona blew out Fenerbahce 97-55, which marked Fenerbahce's second-biggest loss in terms of margin of defeat ever in the EuroLeague.
- During the three seasons with Jasikevicius on the bench, Barcelona won five of six games against Fenerbahce.
- Fenerbahce center Sertac Sanli spent the last two seasons with Barcelona and helped the team reach a pair of EuroLeague Final Fours.
- Barcelona center Jan Vesely played eight seasons for Fenerbahce, helping the team reach five EuroLeague Final Fours and win the 2017 EuroLeague title.
- Barcelona forward Nikola Kalinic spent five years with Fenerbahce, from 2015 to 2020, and helped the team win the 2017 EuroLeague title and reach five consecutive Final Fours.
- Vesely and Kalinic were both teammates of Melih Mahumutoglu, Marko Guduric and Tarik Biberovic during their time with Fenerbahce. Vesely has also been a teammate of Dyshawn Pierre, Sehmus Hazer and Metecan Birsen.
- Fenerbahce swingman Marko Guduric was a teammate of Kalinic and on the Serbian national team, too.
- Nick Calathes spent two seasons at Barcelona, from 2020 to 2022, and helped it reach two Final Fours, including the championship game in 2021.
- Fenerbahce forward Nigel Hayes-Davis played at Barcelona in the 2021-22 season and helped it reach the Final Four.
- Hayes-Davis and Barcelona guard Rokas Jokubaitis were not only teammates in the 2021-22 season at Barcelona, but also for two seasons at Zalgiris Kaunas, from 2019 to 2021.
- In March 2022, Barcelona beat Fenerbahce 88-67 at home behind Alex Abrines, who shot a career-best 6-for-7 from three-point range, scoring 18 points.
- Barcelona point guard Ricky Rubio posted his career high with 10 assists against Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul in December 2010.
- Fenerbahce's Tyler Dorsey tied his career high with 7 assists in a Round 13 loss.
- Sertac Sanli recorded a career-high 8 rebounds playing for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in a win against Barcelona.
- Barcelona big man Oscar da Silva posted his career highs in PIR (26), points (22) and two-pointers made (8) playing for ALBA Berlin against Fenerbahce in October 2021.