A stifling fifth game. As since the start of this Euroleague quarter-final series, Monaco and Fenerbahçe went blow for blow, and engaged in a memorable battle. At the end of these intense 45 minutes, including extra time, it was the Istanbulites who obtained their ticket for the Final Four of the prestigious European Cup (79-80), after having been behind for the majority of the match.
The Turks however dominated the first minutes. More skillful at the start of the match, despite the fervor of the Gaston-Médecin room, the Istanbulites created an initial gap (6-2), before Élie Okobo and Jaron Blossomgame woke up the Monegasques. Despite some awkwardness at three points, the “Roca Team” gradually took the lead, leading by seven points at the start of the second quarter (20-13).
This match was far from over, however. With big three-point shots, Scottie Wilbekin, Tarik Biberovic and Nate Sestina constantly brought Fenerbahçe back into contact with the Monegasques. They nevertheless retained the advantage, returning to the locker room with a five-point lead (40-35).
Nick Calathes delivers the Final Four to Fenerbahçe
But the Turks are hard to beat. Stricter defensively, Nick Calathes’ teammates returned to contact, and even took control of the match thanks to a huge long-distance shot from Tarik Biberovic at the end of the third period (55-56). The last ten minutes then promised to be unbearable.
And what a last quarter! Between endless refereeing decisions and incessant downtime, Monegasques and Turks went blow for blow. Much more solid defensively in the final seconds, the “Roca Team” offered itself a match point, but Élie Okobo’s attempt did not find the inside of the ring.
The victory was decided in overtime. The perfect opportunity for Mike James to break out of his box. Discreet since the start of the match, the American leader first scored a fantastic three points to ideally start these overtime periods, before scoring a precious floater in the final seconds. Problem, however, the Monegasque missed defensively, and let Nick Calathes score two long-distance shots which gave Fenerbahçe the victory.
