By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko may have played with fire in the final minutes but held onto their lead and eventually recorded a big win over Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Belgrade.
Nicolo Melli was one of the best on the court, leading the Istanbul team to victory alongside Nigel Hayes-Davis.
“I think that we came up with the idea of winning, we did it, and we knew it was a very tough game against a very tough opponent. We were able to start the game well, to stay there. We didn’t have our best defensive game for sure, but offensively, I think we had probably one of the best games so far this season. We are just very happy about the win,” Melli told Meridian Sport about the game.
The Italian center scored 16 points, with seven rebounds and three assists, shooting 5/8 from the beyond the arc.
“I try to do what the game gives me, what my teammates give me. Today it was this; maybe on Friday, it’ll be something else. I’m happy that I helped the team win, and it feels good to hit a couple of shots for sure.”
The Turkish champions improved to 13-7 in the EuroLeague standings.
“I mean, this season you play so often. We had a lot of injuries, as many other teams have. I’m not complaining about it; it’s just part, unfortunately, of the season. We just need to stay poised and push through. It’s just January—still very long. At the same time, you cannot lose too many games or let things slip because, as I said, the rankings are so tight that in ten days, you can throw away everything you’ve done. So we’re happy to be back on track. We’re happy that a couple of players are coming back. We are still waiting on Wade Baldwin, so we’ll see. We’ll see—the season is long. One game at a time, and we’ll see where we can go.”
Melli also spoke about playing in Serbia and against Serbian teams, including the national team, which he encountered many times while donning the jersey of Italy.
“I think everybody is inspired by playing against Serbia and Serbian teams here. Basketball here is a religion, part of the culture. So whenever you come here and play against these teams, first of all, you’re playing at the top level in the world, and it’s always special. If you can win, it’s, of course, even more special. And most of you know, with the national team for sure. Italia-Serbia, we have mostly been the underdogs in the last few years, but we were able to be successful. We’ll see in the summer.”
He also praised Crvena zvezda.
“You need to bring your top game to win against them, so it’s very tough. They are for sure one of the competitors for the EuroLeague, definitely. In the playoffs, anything can happen. Playing here is not easy, and then, you know, the Final Four is just two games—anything can happen. They have everything: they have talent, they have toughness. So they are definitely a very good team, and the standings show it. Being there in the standings is not that easy,” Nicolo Melli concluded.