Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul to go up 1-0 in the Turkish League finals. Real Madrid punched its ticket to the Spanish League finals, eliminating Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Domestic leagues: Fenerbahce downs Efes, Real reaches final
Turkey: Vesely, De Colo put Fenerbahce ahead
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul got closer to the Turkish League title by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 85-76 in Game 1 of the best-of-five finals on Tuesday.
Jan Vesely led the winners with 17 points. Nando De Colo added 13 while Devin Booker had 11 for Fenerbahce, which hosts Game 2 on Thursday. Rodrigue Beaubois had 20 points for Efes, which was without back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four MVP Vasilije Micic due to an ankle injury. Elijah Bryant added 13 for the guests.
Vesely stepped up early, getting help from Booker and De Colo to give Fenerbahce a 16-13 lead late in the first quarter. Ertem Gazi hit a triple and Bryant Dunston added a jumper, helping Efes get a 18-20 lead after 10 minutes. De Colo and Metecan Birsen found answers on offense, allowing Fenerbahce to get a 29-22 margin. Shane Larkin rescued Efes, joining forces with Chris Singleton and Bryant to tie the game, 37-37, at halftime. Pierria Henry followed a layup with a triple after the break, Tarik Biberovic dunked and Booker also struck from downtown to make the hosts regain a 53-46 margin. Guduric soon scored in penetration to make it a double-digit game, 59-49. Tibor Pleiss and Beaubous brought Efes within 59-53 after 30 minutes. Sehmus Hazer hit a critical three-pointer, then Vesely, De Colo and Henry scored to seal the outcome, 81-70, with under 3 minutes remaining.
Spain: Real advances to the finals!
Real became the first team to qualify to the 2022 Spanish League finals by downing Baskonia 77-85 at Buesa Arena. Real swept the best-of-five semifinals series.
Walter Tavares led the winners with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Adam Hanga and Gabriel Deck each added 17 points which Fabien Causeur had 14 for Real. Wade Baldwin led Baskonia with 26 points. Simone Fontecchio added 16 while Jayson Granger had 10. Real head coach Pablo Laso was not with his team due to a heart attack, but received a standing ovation before the game - he was also a Baskonia player for over a decade.
Causeur and Hanga combined for 14 quick points to give Real a 10-18 margin. Rudy Fernandez hit a three-pointer and Tavares dunked to make it a double-digit game, 14-25, after 10 minutes. Los Blancos found a new go-to guy in Vincent Poirier, who singlehandedly boosted his team's lead to 23-35. Fontecchio and Baldwin brought Baskonia within 36-41 at halftime. Deck had 5 points in a 0-7 run that made Real restore a 38-48 margin. Tavares kept dominating in the paint and Hanga's three-point play broke the game open, 42-56. Real kept a 53-66 margin at the end of the third quarter and even when Baskonia got within 64-69, Deck and Hanga boosted Los Blancos' lead to 66-78 with 4 minutes to go, sealing the outcome.
France: Monaco loses chance to sweep
AS Monaco missed its first chance to qualify to the French League finals due to an 82-76 road loss against Pau-Lacq-Orthez in Game 3 of the best-of-five semifinals. Monaco has a 2-1 lead in the series, and Pau hosts Game 4 on Thursday.
Gregor Hrovat led 5 Pau players in double digits with 19 points. Mike James led Monaco with 21 points. Dwayne Bacon added 18 while Alpha Diallo had 10 for the guests, which were outrebounded by 43-35 in Game 3.
Pau had a strong start, leading most of the way in the first quarter. Will Thomas followed a dunk with a three-pointer and Bacon also threw it down to give Monaco its first lead, 20-21. Justin Bibblins struck from downtown to make Pau regain a 23-21 lead after 10 minutes. Bacon and Diallo allowed Monaco to get a 26-32 edge, then Pau used a 12-2 run which Brandon Jefferson capped with a triple to take a 38-34 lead. Donatas Motiejunas and Yakuba Ouattara helped Monaco tie the game, 42-42, at halftime. Ouattara and Bacon kept pacing the guests after the break, then James gave his team a 49-52 lead. Pau regained a 65-62 edge at the end of the third quarter and extended its lead to 72-66 with over 4 minutes left. Monaco kept trying but the hosts kept full control of the game until the final buzzer.