By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul kickstarted the BSL quarterfinals series against Frutti Extra Bursaspor with a 100-87 victory at home thanks to Nando De Colo’s explosive return to action.
The French guardposted a season-high with 27 points on 10-of-14 FG to lead Fener to a 1-0 lead in the series, while he also dished five assists and grabbed two rebounds.
Devin Booker added up to Fener’s efforts with 15 points and six rebounds, Melih Mahmutoglu tapped 14 points and Pierria Henry posted 12 points and 8 assists.
On the opposing end, this year’s EuroCup runner-ups were paced behind an 18-point performance by Onuralp Bitim and Derek Needham’s 17 points, though they fell short in the fourth quarter when Fenerbahce managed to pick up their pace and expand their lead.
John Holland added 14 points for Bursaspor, Andrew Andrews scored 12 points, four rebounds and four assists and Kevarius Hayes had 11 points.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17 (20:30 local time) in Bursa.
BSL Quarterfinals (best of three)
Fenerbahce – Bursaspor 1-0
Gaziantep – Darussafaka 0-1
Anadolu Efes – Karsiyaka 1-1
Galatasaray – Bahcesehir 1-0