By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce lost Wade Baldwin to injury early on but survived the shock and got the 77-73 road win against LDLC ASVEL.
Thanks to this result, the Turkish side is tied at the top of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings with a 6-2 record with Zalgiris Kaunas, Bayern Munich, and FC Barcelona.
Nigel Hayes-Davis with 25 points had a big night, Marko Guduric added 12 points and Bonzie Colson also had 10 points.
“It was a very physical game, exactly what we expected from ASVEL, a lot of experienced guys who know how to play. It was a very difficult game, and we also lost Wade in the first minutes, so it wasn’t easy. But I’m happy that we won the game,” Guduric said after the game.
For the losing side, Nando De Colo had a vintage night with 18 points against his former team, but Fenerbahce simply had too much firepower.
Shaquille Harrison, with 11 points, Theo Maledon (10p.), and Tarik Black (10 p.) also scored in double digits for ASVEL.
Bit shot Guduric
The game was close in the first half. Wade Baldwin was injured after just three minutes of action, and ASVEL was up by four (19-15) at the end of the first period.
The French side led by nine (28-19), but Fenerbahce reacted and got the 33-31 lead after a Devon Hall. Still, ASVEL finished the second quarter up by three (36-33).
Things changed in the third, with Fenerbahce building an eight-point lead (46-38) after a three by Hayes-Davis but with Nando De Colo scoring at will, ASVEL entered the last quarter up by one (52-51).
The game turned into a dogfight and with everything on the line, Marco Guduric made a big three with 22 seconds left to give Fenerbahce a four-point cushion (75-71) which proved to be enough.
Sako and Ajinca couldn’t finish the game
Two players who started the match didn’t make it to the end. ASVEL’s Neal Sako and Melvin Ajinca were also forced to exit before the game concluded.
“Tough game, tough scenario, tough loss, because we will probably miss a couple of players for the upcoming games. But overall, I’m proud of the guys, my team, and the way we showed our character today. They fought hard from the first to the last second. I told them that the result and strategy were secondary; we had to put on a good show in front of the home crowd, and they did it. Hopefully, we can build on this, and now let’s just hope to get players back in good shape,” ASVEL head coach Pierric Popuet said at the postgame press conference.
Photo credit: EuroLeague