A key matchup in the race for home-court advantage will see either Monaco (14-10) or Fenerbahce (15-9) complete a perfect double-round week.
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce: 'We have our hands full'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 25 of 34
Regular Season
AS MonacoASM
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Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
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The host is searching for a fourth straight win and can rely on the clockwork consistency of Mike James, Round 24's MVP after powering a comfortable win over Partizan. Fenerbahce boosted its fragile road form with a strong win at ASVEL on Tuesday, and has center Johnathan Motley in great form with 23 and 24 points in the last two games. Fenerbahce won 86-74 when the teams met in December behind 23 points from the currently injured Nigel Hayes-Davis, whose absence – should it continue – is being well covered by the energy of recent signing Amine Noua.
Sasa Obradovic, Monaco head coach
"We need to put Partizan behind us and get ready for another high-level challenge, and be ready to deploy the same energy. Fenerbahce have suffered some injuries, but they're a team built to reach the Final Four. As everyone knows, we're in direct competition for a place in the Top 4. Scottie Wilbekin's talent is well-known in the Fenerbahce camp, and he has become a major influence in their game. Calathes in the lead, Motley in the paint, Guduric... Many players can make a difference, defensive intensity will again be one of the keys."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"We are facing one of the top teams in the EuroLeague, a team that is playing physically. For us, it is extremely important not to turn the ball over, match their physicality and then, of course, deal with their guards. The guards create a lot of things and they are very difficult to stop. We have our hands full. It’s a big job waiting for us."
Mam Jaiteh, Monaco player
"We're expecting a big game against Fenerbahce. We were frustrated when we lost the first leg, and we're going to use that as motivation to take our revenge. We're going to use that as motivation to get our revenge. The EuroLeague is so tight that anything can happen from one week to the next. There's no way we can relax, we've got to keep it up."
Sertac Sanli, Fenerbahce player
"It’s a double week in the EuroLeague. We got the result we wanted in the first game, but we know that this time, an even more challenging task awaits us. Monaco is a very good team. They also want to move up in the standings and get their playoff ticket with the best ranking possible. They have a special player like Mike James, and we also know that they have very talented players in every position. We have to focus for 40 minutes and react to our opponent's physical game."