Fenerbahçe BEKO beat its French opponent in overtime in the last match of the Play-Off series, which extended to Monaco, and made its Final Four goal a reality with a “historic” victory.
Until yesterday, in the history of the Euroleague, no team had been able to eliminate the team with the “home” advantage in the Play-Off series, which extended to the fifth game… Away teams tried to do this 18 times, but the home teams always made good use of the advantage of playing on their own field. The Yellow-Navy blue team had previously won the championship in 2017, beating its Greek opponent 3-0 in the series where Panathinaikos had the field advantage. However, Canary broke new ground in the series, which continued until the 5th game. They beat Monaco in overtime on the opponent’s field and wrote their name in golden letters in the history of the giant league. Just 2 hours after Fenerbahçe, this time Olympiacos defeated Barcelona 3-2 in Barcelona and went on to the Final Four by repeating the same success on the same night.
MONTE CARLO, FRANCE – MAY 08: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
celebration during the 2023/2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play Offs match 5 between AS Monaco and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at Salle Gaston Medecin on May 08, 2024 in Monte Carlo, France. (Photo by Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
In yesterday’s match, the game quality was not at the desired level again, just like in the 4th game of the series, due to the great pressure on the teams. However, both teams set the bar very high in terms of competition. Monaco should also be given their due; They also fought hard for the Final Four. But when it came to the “putting a character in the game” part, that’s where Canary showed its difference!..
Greek guard Nick Calathes, who played this series amazingly, gave Fenerbahçe BEKO “everything they needed to win” on the field yesterday… In one word, Nick played “magnificently”… They didn’t call him horse, woman, Greek guard for nothing!.. All season long, And while he was at the top of the “to be sent” list in a season, he was “forced” to be kept in the squad due to the successive injuries of players in his position, and if it had been another player, it would have been considered normal for him to have hit the bottom and have a “horrible” season, but on the contrary, he would have “resurfaced from the ashes”. Calathes is now a real “hero”… The Greek guard, who presented sections of the brightest periods of his career with his rise throughout the season, did a great job behind the wheel yesterday. He not only organized the field perfectly, but also played “safe and secure” with a formidable offensive weapon like Mike James. It literally went to another dimension in the extra period, where hands and feet were shaking and the ball turned into a “ball of fire”!.. In the last 2 minutes, where the game got stuck for Fenerbahçe and the advantage constantly changed hands, the host played his “last trump card” with Okobo, James and Diallo. He tied the score at 77-77 with a terrific three-pointer at 43.49. After Mike James’ basket at 44.23, Calathes scored another three-pointer at 44.42, just as everyone was holding their breath… Then, Papagiannis deflected the ball from the hands of Okobo, who was going to the basket in the last attack. 35-year-old young man!.. He stayed on the field for exactly 38 minutes!.. He could only hit 2 of the 13 shots he took throughout the match!.. But in the “destiny-determining” final part, maybe many players in his place would not look at the rim with this bad percentage, He managed to remain “ice cold” at a time when everyone’s hands were shaking, and he opened the door to the Final Four for his team by picking up and passing two three-pointers “in a row” through the hoop.
MONTE CARLO, FRANCE – MAY 08: Sarunas Saras Jasikevicius, Head Coach of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul iduring the 2023/2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play Offs match 5 between AS Monaco and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at Salle Gaston Medecin on May 08, 2024 in Monte Carlo, France. (Photo by Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
Of course, Calathes was not the only reason for yesterday’s victory… But he had a big share… Everyone in the Yellow-Navy blue team made contributions, big and small, throughout the match, where Monaco dominated the painted area and Fenerbahçe pushed behind the line, and both teams focused on the game in different ways. . The Yellow-Navy Blue team committed 8 turnovers in the first period… Despite this unusual negativity, they were only 2 points behind at the end of the quarter… Motley started the match even though he was not ready due to missing matches, and he did a good job. But it wouldn’t make sense for him to get so much playing time in yesterday’s physical game. Anyway, Coach Jasikevicius did not throw him on the field in the breaking moments of the game. He closed the end of the match with Papagiannis…
Monaco tried to escape throughout the match, to widen the gap and enter the end of the match “comfortably”, but they stopped. Monaco coach Sasha Obradovic was also aware that when the stress factor came into play, it was his team that tended to “play around” in terms of experience. But whenever they increased the difference to 7-8 points, it was either Tarık or Sestina, sometimes Wilbekin, sometimes Guduric and at the most critical moments. Calathes was active. After the first period passed without a 3-point shot, Canary made exactly 6 three-pointers in the 2nd quarter… Each of them prevented Monaco, which had a great advantage in the painted area, from closing the half with a double-digit difference.
In the third period, this time we witnessed the “duel” of both teams from behind the line… Wilbekin, Calathes, Nigel Hayes, and in the section where the opponent jumped 7 points ahead with an 8-0 score, this time Tarık scored 8 points, 2 of which were three-pointers, and Fenerbahce started the last period. He enabled ‘to enter ahead’.
In the last period, Fenerbahçe was the more “self-confident” and “conscious” side on the field. While Monaco stayed afloat by supporting Motiejunas’ productivity in the painted area with the points scored by Diallo, Loyd and Okobo by going to the basket in this period, it was the Canaries that were ahead by 4 points (63-67) in the last 2.50 with Guduric’s three-pointer at 37.10… However, they were on the offensive. When 2 consecutive mistakes were responded to by James’ three-pointer and Okobo’s penetration, Monaco took the lead again in the last minute… When Okobo responded to Wilbekin’s amazing three-pointer from 2 players at 39.06, overtime was called. The next thing is known; We already talked about that “legendary finish” in the section with Calathes above…
And Fenerbahçe BEKO managed to make it to the Final Four, “where it belongs”, after exactly 5 years. The Yellow-Navy blue team, who put their ticket to Berlin in their pocket, is only 2 matches away from the cup… First of all, all Fenerbahçe fans should enjoy this… They should be proud of this great success… But in 2016, in Berlin, how the cup was taken away from them with the “referee disaster” in the first final of their history, and they were 21 points behind. Without forgetting what was done and given as a “gift” to CSKA Moscow in the match where he came and took the lead…
Berlin owes a cup to Fenerbahçe BEKO… Who knows, maybe it’s time for this beautiful city to pay its debt to the Yellow-Navy blue team… Get ready, Berlin; Lantern is coming!..
GÖKHAN TURE
2024-05-09 18:09:51
#ready #Berlin #Fener #coming #Basket #Magazine
