By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A 16-3 run in the fourth quarter let Fenerbahce beat Bayern Munich 74-67 in Istanbul in the opening game of Group A. Zeljco Obradovic‘s team outscored their opponents 22-8 in the last quarter and won the game.
Luigi Datome was the top scorer for the winners with 15 points, as Jan Vesely added a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds). For the Germans, who came close to a great victory, Alex Renfroe and Nihad Djedovic both scored 14 points.
Bayern Munich was impressive in the first half. With a great performance both defensively and offensively, they took an early lead (8-16) and ended the first quarter in front by 10 points (10-20). Fenerbahce made an 8-2 run and cut the deficit to four (18-22), however the Bavarians responded with an 12-2 run to to extend their lead to 14 points (20-34), as they ended the first half with a nine-point advantage (30-39).
In the second half, Fenerbahce turned things upside down. With a 14-5 run they tied the game and had the momentum on their side (44-44), but Svetislav Pesic’s team stood tall and steadily extended their lead to 12 points (47-59). A crazy three-point shot at the buzzer from Bobby Dixon let the Turkish squad shift the momentum (52-59), as they made a 16-3 run and regained the lead (68-62). At the end, Bayern missed some crucial shots and, consequently, Fenerbahce claimed the victory.