A flawless first quarter and Baldwin’s playmaking help Fenerbahce claim its ninth win in 10 games
Fenerbahce rides Wade Baldwin’s brilliance to statement road win in Barcelona
Informes de partidos
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 26 of 38
Regular Season
FC BarcelonaBAR
7882
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
l
l
w
w
l
w
w
w
w
w
Palau Blaugrana offered all the noise and nostalgia you’d expect for Sarunas Jasikevicius’s return, but Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul quieted it early and closed it late - with Wade Baldwin running the show throughout. In a game that featured big swings and a furious home push, Baldwin’s control and playmaking helped Fenerbahce defeat FC Barcelona 78-82 and remain atop the standings at 18–7 with nine wins in the last 10 games.
Fenerbahce’s beginning was emphatic. The visitors blitzed the opening period with a near‑perfect mix of pace, spacing and shotmaking, quickly building a 14–29 lead that set the tone for the night. Baldwin was at the center of it, orchestrating pick‑and‑rolls, punching gaps when needed, and finding teammates in rhythm to keep Barcelona off balance from the start.
The middle chapters brought the tension. Fenerbahce led 51–71 in the third quarter, but Barcelona fought back behind stops, pace and shot‑making to close within 78–81 in the final seconds. That’s when Baldwin grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, drew a foul and split free throws with 4.4 seconds left to seal it - a sequence that mirrored his night: poise, timing, and the right play at the right moment.
When the dust settled, Baldwin’s line told most - but not all - of the story: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists with just 1 turnover, and 1 block for a PIR of 26. Over the last two games, he has 16 assists with only one turnover.
Right after the game, Baldwin credited his team’s defense for making things happen.
“Barcelona fought as tough as they can. They are going through a little bit of a rough patch, but they showed their character, showed their fight. We just held on, took care of the ball late. It was a little bit rugged, but we stuck together as a team and came out with a win,” Baldwin said after the game. “We are known as one of the top defensive teams in the EuroLeague. Holding a team like Barcelona under their 92-point mark is the goal, obviously. We achieved that today and won the game.”
As always when Coach Jasikevicius returns to Barcelona, a great atmosphere was expected. “Saras” won a EuroLeague title with Barca as a player in 2003 and took it to the EuroLeague Championship Game as a coach, among many other highlights in his three stints with the club - two as a player and one as a coach.
His team made sure to cool off the atmosphere with a near‑perfect first quarter in which Fenerbahce proved why it is on the right track to challenge for a second consecutive EuroLeague title. Coach Jasikevicius’s team made 5-of-6 two‑pointers, 5-of-6 three‑pointers and 4-of-4 free throws on its way to a 14–29 lead.
Despite having the same number of assists and turnovers with five each, Fenerbahce soon found advantages playing one‑on‑one with Talen Horton‑Tucker and an unstoppable Baldwin, who had 10 points off the bench at the end of the first quarter.
Numbers don’t capture the full control Baldwin exerted. He repeatedly bent Barcelona’s coverage, often finding Tarik Biberovic for clean looks at the rim and beyond the arc. He has learned to slow the game, see the whole floor and dictate tempo, using his physicality selectively and putting the ball in all the right places. Fenerbahce fans are seeing his best version.
Biberovic finished with 19 points with 4 of his 7 baskets coming directly from Baldwin’s assists. Baldwin also connected with Khem Birch twice, first for a perfectly executed high‑post pick‑and‑roll and then on a wild alley‑oop in transition.
“Nine wins out of 10 is a great thing to hear, but our mentality is game by game. Actually, possession by possession, game by game. Even though we were leading by 20 points today, we have to learn from our mistakes. This cannot happen. Our defense was full of mistakes,” Biberovic said. “We are trying to improve from each and every day and try to be a better team every single day.”
Baldwin stole the show and his current playing level raises interesting questions. Is Baldwin the best point guard in the EuroLeague this year? Is he the best player? With Fenerbahce’s form, the MVP conversation will linger - and the end of the season will tell.
