The celebrations after winning the series opener in Monaco were muted for Fenerbahce as it started thinking about Game 2 almost immediately
Triumphant Fenerbahce already focused on Game 2
Article
3 Mins read
There are many facts and numbers that show how important winning Game 1 is in the EuroLeague Playoffs. And even more that shed light on what it means for road teams to open playoff series with victories.
Presumably, students of the game like Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and his forward Nigel Hayes-Davis are well aware of what their team’s 91-95 overtime road victory at AS Monaco on Wednesday could mean for the rest of the series. But that was not their focus after the game.
The celebrations were quite muted. Instead, the Fenerbahce folks were all business and looking ahead to Friday night’s Game 2.
In just the second sentence at his post-game press conference, Barcelona’s head coach was looking ahead.
“We can do a lot of things better. And hopefully, we can do that. But right now, the most important thing is to recover our bodies,” said Sarunas Jasikevicius. “We need to understand where we make mistakes. We also need to understand where we make a lot of great things. Just getting into our game and moving the ball because Monaco is a very difficult team to play against with their defensive schemes and pressure.”
Saras is seeking the fifth Final Four appearance of his coaching career. In his first, in 2018, his Zalgiris Kaunas side stunned higher-ranked Olympiacos Piraeus in Game 1 to claim the home-court advantage and then won Games 3 and 4 at home. In his first season on the FC Barcelona bench, his team lost Game 1 at home before winning the next 2 and taking the series in Game 5 at home.
Perhaps because of those experiences, he just wants to keep Fenerbahce focused. One player he knows he can lean on is Nigel Hayes-Davis. Not only did he lead Fenerbahce with 19 points, but the forward played for Saras at both Zalgiris and Barcelona.
“It’s a great way to start the playoffs, we won the game,” Hayes-Davis deadpanned before bringing up the negatives. “But we almost lost it. We didn’t finish the game from the free-throw line. We gave up too many offensive rebounds. We made 10+ silly stupid fouls when they were in the bonus, and they were knocking down free throws. So, we have a lot to learn from and make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes on Friday.”
In a follow-up question, Hayes-Davis addressed the excitement of the game and the extra session, but even so, finished his answer with an eye on Game 2.
“Overtime games are great. Free basketball for the fans. The first minute or two really decides the overtime,” he said. “We needed to make a stop and hit some shots and we were able to do that and get ahead. Once you get ahead in overtime, the other team usually starts trying to force the comeback.
“And then from there ideally you can usually ice the game from the free-throw line. But we didn’t do that either. We need to make those corrections and learn for Friday.”
Game Videos
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Elie Okobo: 'We were sharing the ball way more than usual'
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Okobo with the reverse layup! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
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Blossomgame goes from defense to offense! Motorola Magic Moment
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Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:28
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Marko Guduric: 'I don’t know how we pulled this one out'
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:27
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Marko Guduric: 'Since 2019, we hadn't won here!'
- 00:21
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Colson stops Mitchell! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:15
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Zagars's acrobatic layup! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:01
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Elie Okobo: 'It’s time to start a winning streak'
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz–AS Monaco | RS Round 10 highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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AS Monaco-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade| RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:25
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Nigel Hayes-Davis: 'His negativity is what fuels me'
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-FC Bayern Munich| RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:07
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Saras Jasikevicius: 'We have a great group of guys'
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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:26
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Georgios Papagiannis: 'It was a team effort'
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-AS Monaco | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:24
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Papagiannis seals the win! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/zCbK-dBI8zI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:40
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Nigel Hayes-Davis: ‘We have to be consistent on both ends, starting with me’
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Zalgiris Kaunas-AS Monaco | RS Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:11
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Showtime basketball by Fenerbahce! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:10
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Elie Okobo: 'We showed team chemistry today'
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-AS Monaco | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Blossomgame with the alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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AS Monaco-Paris Basketball | RS Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
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Diallo out of nowhere! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:58
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TJ Shorts: 'Monaco vs. Paris is going to be a true rivalry'
- 00:47
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Mike James: 'As long as we win, I feel better about myself'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/da17fc2b-aa4d-4b86-9785-6be82220890a.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
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A smooth dunk by Jaiteh! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:05
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Nicolo Melli: 'We go back to Istanbul happy'
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ALBA Berlin-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | RS Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:13
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Birch throws it down after a pass from Colson! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:48
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Boban Marjanovic: ‘Why choose Fenerbahce? Short flight, great food, great organization’
- 01:12
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Khem Birch: 'I bring energy, rebounding and defense'
- 03:43
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:00
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Mike James: 'It's a great way for us to start the season'
- 03:31
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AS Monaco-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
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No-looking show from Jaiteh! Motorola Magic Moment
- 03:44
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:09
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Saras Jasikevicius: 'Scottie’s health is much more important than the win'
- 03:56
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AS Monaco-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:39
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Sasa Obradovic: 'It was over my expectations'
While Fenerbahce may choose to look at the negatives, there were plenty of positives. The visitors outrebounded Monaco 30-41. They shot very well from outside, making 14 of 30 three-pointers (46.7%). And on defense held Monaco below its usual shooting averages.
And if Saras’s men can repeat those feats on Friday while improving on everything else that the coach and his star forward mentioned after the game, they could be well on their way to a trip to Berlin for the 2024 Final Four.