After a defensive grind was edged by Monaco on Friday to make it a 2-2 series, Fenerbahce will look to recover its usual offensive fluidity as the series comes to a close in the principality.
Game Notes: Monaco vs. Fenerbahce
![Game Notes: Monaco vs. Fenerbahce](https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3f5f038e-3f5b-454a-bdbe-cb383f81ca75.jpg?crop=1350%3A759%3Anowe%3A0%3A32)
Game 4's lowest-scoring result of the entire playoffs, 62-65, was very unlike the high-scoring shootouts that had preceded it, with nobody scoring more than Marko Guduric's 14 points or Elie Okobo's 13. Head coaches Sasa Obradovic and Saras Jasikevicius could well introduce some new wrinkles in the hope of gaining an edge.
The series has been lacking a big performance from Monaco star Mike James, who had averaged just 11.2 compared to his season average of 17.9, shooting just 23.8% from three-point range. This would be the perfect time for James to recover his usual standards, while Fener star Nigel Hayes-Davis will also look to bounce back after being held to 10 points in each of the last three games and converting just 28.6% of his long-range shots in the series.
- Fenerbahce and Monaco never played an official game before the 2021-22 season. They split home wins during this regular season.
- Monaco forced Game 5 with a 62-65 road win on Friday night. Elie Okobo led the winners with 13 points off the bench.
- Fenerbahce took a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 with an 89-78 win in which Tarik Biberovic led the way with 14 points.
- In Game 2, Monaco rallied in the fourth quarter to a 93-88 win with Donatas Motiejunas scoring 18 points.
- Fenerbahce set a club playoff record with 16 three-pointers made in Game 2.
- Fenerbahce pulled out a 91-95 overtime win in Game 1 behind Nigel Hayes-Davis, who had 19 points and earned MVP of the Round honor with a PIR of 23.
- In Monaco's home 92-78 win over Fenerbahce in February 2022, Alpha Diallo scored a career-high 24 points.
- Last season in Istanbul, Monaco's Yakuba Ouattara had career highs in points (19), three-pointers made (5) and PIR (19) in a 98-94 overtime loss.
- Monaco guard Mike James was a backcourt mate of Fenerbahce point guard Nick Calathes for large parts of two seasons, from 2016 to 2018, at Panathinaikos Athens.
- James has made a career-best 6 triples twice in his career against Fenerbahce; first for AX Armani Exchange Milan in December 2018, and then for CSKA Moscow in November 2019.
- James dropped 31 points on Fenerbahce in November 2019 playing for CSKA Moscow in an 88-70 win. James's scoring total included a career-best 6-for-8 three-point and 9-for-9 free-throw shooting and he accumulated a performance index rating of 38. He earned the MVP of the Round honor for his performance.
- Monaco's Jaron Blossomgame had a career-high 9 rebounds in his team's Game 1 loss.
- Scottie Wilbekin set his career highs in points (37) and PIR (37) playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Monaco in November 2021. He won the MVP of the Round honor for that performance in a 95-84 win.
- Fenerbahce guard Sehmus Hazer collected a career-high 3 steals in a road loss against Monaco in February 2022.
- Fenerbahce guard Tyler Dorsey tied his career-best 7 rebounds in Game 1 of this series. He also had 7 rebounds playing for Olympiacos Piraeus against Monaco in November 2021.
- Fenerbahce guard Yam Madar posted his career-high in index rating of 18 for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Monaco in January 2023.