By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Paris is an offensive juggernaut, and even Fenerbahce‘s defense didn’t have the answer for three quarters.
However, in the end, the home team managed to get the big win, with Nigel Hayes-Davis stealing the show by scoring the winning three at the buzzer and finishing with three threes in the last period after missing his first six in the game.
Fenerbahce got the big 101-100 win in Istanbul, improving to a 21-10 record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings and remaining all alone in the second spot of the standings, mathematically securing a finish in the top six.
On the other hand, Paris dropped to 18-14, and nothing is guaranteed for them.
Nigel Hayes returned from injury with 19 points, Marko Guduric scored 25 points for the home side, and Errick McCollum had 18.
“It’s fun playing against them, well coached, and everybody is a threat”, said Hayes-Davis after the final buzzer. “I am sure the coaches don’t like this type of basketball, but as players it’s tremendous to play like this”.
TJ Shorts, with 19 points and 10 assists, almost won the game for Paris. Nadir Hifi also scored 19 points, while Mikael Jantunen had 14 points, and Yakuba Ouattara got 13.
A thriller in the end
Paris opened the game leading 24-17 after the first period and extending the lead to 11 (33-22) after two minutes of action in the second.
Despite the effort of Fenerbahce, Paris pushed their advantage to 12 points (46-34), and the hosts were trailing by seven (51-44) at halftime, with Marko Guduric scoring at the buzzer for a total of 13 points.
Meanwhile, Nadir Hifi had 13 points after his first 11 minutes of action, and Paris wasn’t rattled at all.
On the contrary, the guests continued to push the tempo and got a 63-48 lead opening the second half with a 12-4 partial score. Fenerbahce couldn’t put a stop to the French crescento, with Paris closing the quarter with 33 points scored and an 84-71 lead.
It was desperation time for he hosts, who opened the last period with a 6-1 run (85-77).
Fenerbhce trimmed the lead to six (86-80) by tooth and claw, and Nigel Hayes-Davis, with his first made three of the game after six misses, made it a three-point game (86-83). He added five more straight points, and Fenerbahce got the 88-86, completing a 17-2 run entering the last four minutes of the game.
Suddenly, Paris couldn’t buy a bucket, but after a steal by TJ Shorts, Tyson Ward tied the score at 88. Hayes-Davis scored again from the free throw line to make it a three-point game (91-88), and Jankunen, plus Yakuba Ouattara with a there, gave the lead back to Paris (93-91) with two minutes left.
With the game on the line, Shorts, with a goal-foul, gave Paris a five-point cushion (96-91), only for Tarik Biberobic to tie the score at 98 with 18 seconds left.
Shorts score again (100-98), leaving two seconds on the clock. It was enough for Nigel-Hayes Davis to win the game.
Photo credit: EuroLeague