Punter had a chance to win it, but Hall’s defense and a Baldwin block carried the defending champions over the line
Devon Hall, Wade Baldwin come to the rescue as Fenerbahce topples in-form Barcelona
Rapport de match
3 Minute de lecture
Regular Season
Round 18 of 38
Regular Season
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
7271
FC BarcelonaBAR
Overview
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For fans of defensive basketball, the Round 18 clash between Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and FC Barcelona delivered.
Both teams made scoring a grind, and the outcome wasn’t decided until the final seconds. Wade Baldwin and Devon Hall emerged as the difference-makers, with Baldwin sinking three free throws before Hall’s lockdown defense on Kevin Punter forced a contested look that Baldwin swatted away, sealing a 72-71 win for Fenerbahce in its final game of 2025 – a year that notably included the club’s second EuroLeague title.
“Amazing. Devon did incredible defense on Punter, who had been amazing all game long,” Nicolo Melli, who finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds, told EuroLeague TV afterward. “And Wade knocking down all three free throws to take the lead. Amazing job.
“Details at the end matter. We were better than them at the end, and that’s why we got the win. Amazing win, playing defense and playing as a team. This is what matters.”
Coach Saras Jasikevicius echoed those sentiments in his post-game comments, singling out Hall while framing the victory as further evidence of his team’s championship mentality.
“Everybody knows what kind of defender Devon Hall is,” Jasikevicius said. “We chose to leave him one-on-one on the last possession. Devon did the job, others came to help, and then it was scrambling at the end.
“It’s just another character win for our guys. This is why they are champions.”
Fenerbahce’s 72 points marked its fourth-lowest output of the season, but Barcelona was held to a season-low 71. While Jasikevicius would like to see more offensive consistency, the result mattered most – Fenerbahce’s eighth win in its last nine games.
“As a coach, at some point you want to start playing better basketball,” Jasikevicius said. “But what can I say? It’s the same speech I’ve been giving for three months. We’ll take the win, go home, watch the video tomorrow. Hopefully it starts clicking offensively. For now, we’re doing it with defense and grit.”
The outcome could easily have gone the other way. Fenerbahce led for much of the game, from late in the first quarter through the closing minutes of the third, before Dario Brizuela swung momentum back Barcelona’s way. The guard scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, while Punter – held in check after 16 first-half points – appeared to deliver the dagger with a three-pointer inside the final minute that put Barcelona 67-69 ahead.
Instead, Baldwin responded with five points in the final 43 seconds. Jasikevicius also came away impressed by a Barcelona side revitalized under Xavi Pascual, who has now lost just twice since returning as head coach – both defeats coming in Istanbul, following an earlier loss to Anadolu Efes before a five-game winning streak.
“This was a big game, and in big games you don’t settle – you take the ball to the rim,” Jasikevicius said. “Our decisions could have been better in terms of creating shots off kick-outs, but Barcelona with Xavi is a big-time contender.”
Fenerbahce now sits at 11-6 after an impressive turnaround from a 3-5 start. Barcelona, also trending upward under Pascual, is 12-6 through 18 games. Barcelona hosts AS Monaco on December 30, while Fenerbahce travels to face Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on January 2.
