Saras Jasikevicius’s men were superior to Panathinaikos throughout Friday’s semifinal
Fenerbahce played with focus and control to dominate semifinal
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Final Four
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There is no doubt that Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul earned its right to play for the title in Sunday’s Championship Game, with the Turkish team dominating the opening semifinal against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens far more than the 82-76 scoreline suggests.
The opening possessions saw baskets evenly traded, but when Bonzie Colson’s three-pointer gave Fenerbahce a 6-5 lead with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter, that was it: no more lead changes, as Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’s men played with control, focus and impressive efficiency to lead the rest of the way.
Panathinaikos fought hard and came back to a 1-point margin a couple of times, but Fenerbahce never lost its way and pushed ahead by double digits on several occasions – including a 78-68 lead after a three-pointer from Tarik Biberovic with 33 seconds remaining, effectively sealing the outcome before a late flurry from Panathinaikos made the final margin closer.
A four-time champion and a certified Euroleague Legend as a player, Jasikevicius is not an easy man to please. But even the demanding Fenerbahce coach admitted that he was (mostly) happy with his team’s efforts as he told EuroLeague TV: “Hats off to the players. I didn’t think we played great but it’s not possible to play great at this stage.
“The fighting spirit and heart was there from the beginning. We started taking 50/50 balls, exactly what we didn’t do last year in Berlin in the semifinal against PAO. Like always in these games it became difficult, and we found players who stepped up.”
The game’s numbers tell the tale of Fenerbahce’s all-round dominance. The Turkish team had great offensive balance, making 14 shots from both two and three-point range, dished more assists than Panathinaikos (17-10), won the rebounding battle 33-29 including 10 at the offensive end, committed fewer turnovers (9 against 12) and blocked 4 shots against just 1 from the Greens.
The impressive composure shown by the men from Istanbul was evident throughout the roster, with the strong collective effort allowing the team to comfortably withstand quiet nights from usual offensive leaders Nigel Hayes-Davis (7 points) and Marko Guduric (3 points).
Playing with a team-first ethic is one of the keys to the success of this Fenerbahce team, and Wade Baldwin – who made a strong personal contribution with 10 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals – emphasized the importance of that mentality as he said: “You have to take away the egos, you have to give a little bit, you have to sacrifice your pride and a little bit of your game to get guys going.
“I just wanted to take my time, be patient with the game, don’t force anything. Just allow my teammates to play our solid Fenerbahce basketball. We did a great job of that tonight, multiple guys can step up and play well, and that’s what happened.
“It’s good to play our solid basketball and win the way that Fenerbahce wins.”
Another key presence in the backcourt was Devon Hall, who led his team’s scoring with 18 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting. Hall underlined his team’s success in taking early control as a 10-0 first-quarter run established a lead that would never be relinquished.
“To start well is important, especially in these games when it’s a one-and-done scenario,” he said. “We trust in each other, and taking care of the ball was a key for us.”
But Hall also sounded a serious note as he sent a reminder that his team’s focus remains intact, saying: “I won’t be celebrating too much, because we’ve still got one more game on Sunday. So rest and recover, and go from there.”
If Fenerbahce can approach the title game with the same attitude and execution it displayed on Friday night, the Turkish team will take some stopping.