The Lithuanian head coach couldn’t have asked for a better present by his players
Coach Jasikevicius celebrated his birthday by completing perfect week on the road
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Regular Season
Round 28 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul completed a perfect double-round week on the road by thrashing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 76-100 on Thursday night. For coach Saras Jasikevicius, he couldn’t have asked his players for a better birthday present.
The team’s week kicked off with a statement victory against top-four spot aspirant Paris Basketball on Monday, and Thursday's triumph in Milan means Fenerbahce is just one win behind league leader Olympiacos Piraeus, which plays Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday.
“I hope [we made Jasikevicius happy],” Wade Baldwin, who scored 15, told EuroLeague TV. “It’s hard to make him happy sometimes.”
The Italian side defeated Fenerbahce 85-91 back in November, but this time Jasikevicius’s players were in the mood to put on a show. Having outscored Milan in each of the four quarters, the guests established a double-digit lead in the second and maintained it until the final whistle, recording a 76-100 triumph to take some revenge.
“I think we set the tone,” noted Errick McCollum, who poured in a game-high 18 points. “We were physical, we were aggressive and we wanted to bring that sense of urgency. I think that the Paris game was a good tune up for this to get us ready to play with that aggressiveness and it was a playoff atmosphere. I hope we can continue like this.”
Just a day earlier, Coach Jasikevicius celebrated his 49th birthday, but further plans have been made before Fenerbahce’s return to Türkiye.
“You’ll always going to celebrate your birthday with your loved ones, your closest friends, your staff,” Coach Jasikevicius told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Obviously, I’ve got the win and now I’ve got to go out and have some good food in Milan. Never has a problem with food in this city.”
Fenerbahce’s defense kept a strong Milan offense to just 76 points, while 11 of the 12 visiting players who stepped onto the floor netted at least 4 points each. In fact, Fenerbahce recorded unreal shooting percentages, going 28 for 39 (71.8%) from inside the arc and 11-for-22 (91.7%) from deep.
Meanwhile, four of Fenerbahce’s last six regular-season games will take place at Ulker Sports And Event Hall, providing Coach Saras’s side with a huge advantage in their bid to clinch a top-four spot.
For the time being, though, the Lithuanian head coach deserves a break to enjoy some Italian cuisine with a big smile on his face following two big road victories.