Fenerbahçe Beko defeated the French team AS Monaco 65-62 in the 4th match of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-Off series, and the series became 2-2. The team that will advance to the Final Four will be determined as a result of the match to be played in France, hosted by Monaco on Wednesday, May 8.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Fenerbahçe started the match played at Ülker Sports and Event Hall with its starting 5: Nick Calathes, Tyler Dorsey, Dyshawn Pierre, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Georgios Papagiannis. The starting 5 of the away team consisted of Jordan Loyd, Mike James, Jaron Blossomgame, Yakuba Ouattara and Donatas Motiejunas.
Fenerbahçe could not make use of the shots it took from behind the three-point line in the first 4 minutes of the match, and when both teams scored from under the basket, this part was tied 4-4. The yellow-dark blue team, which managed to stop its opponent on defense, scored the first 3-pointer of the match from Hayes-Davis with 3.42 left in the period and brought the score to 9-4. Maintaining the difference in the remaining period, the yellow-dark blue team finished the period ahead 15-11.
Although Monaco started the second period with Motiejunas’s shot under the basket, Fenerbahçe, who hit 3-pointers first with Wilbekin and then with Guduric, increased the difference to 8 with 8.03 left in the first half and forced its opponent to take a timeout: 21-13. Coming back from the break better, Monaco reduced the gap to 2 with Okobo’s three-pointer with 4.14 left: 26-24. Continuing his scoring game in attack, Okobo equalized the score with free throws with 2.10 left to play: 30-30. Fenerbahçe took the lead again with Papagiannis’ 2+1 with 9 seconds left before the end of the period, and closed the first half ahead 33-30.
Both teams started the second half with three-point shots. From Fenerbahçe, Wilbekin and Hayes-Davis; Monaco, on the other hand, found hits from Loyd. Scoring 5 consecutive points from Ouattara, the away team took the lead with 4.51 left in the period: 42-43. As both teams had difficulty scoring in the remaining part of the period, the away team entered the last period ahead by 1 point: 47-48.
Both teams started the last period of the match effectively in defense. As both teams had difficulty scoring points, the score was tied at 49-49 in the last 7 minutes. The yellow-dark blue team took the lead with Tarık Biberovic’s three-point shot with 6.38 left and forced their opponent to take a timeout: 52-49. After Fenerbahçe could not score for about 2 minutes, Monaco, which had a 5-0 streak in this section, was ahead by 2 points in the last 4 minutes: 52-54. Monaco was leading 58-57 in the last minute of the match. With 58 seconds left, James’ three-pointer increased the away team’s lead to 4: 57-61. Although Fenerbahçe reduced the difference to 2 with Wilbekin’s free throws with 49 seconds left, Monaco increased the difference to 4 again with Hall’s dunk with 40 seconds left: 59-63. With Guduric’s three-point shot with 22 seconds left, the yellow-dark blue team reduced the difference to 1 again: 62-63. Monaco won the match 65-62 with Hall’s basket in the last second.
THE FIELD WAS MESSED AT THE END OF THE MATCH
After the end of the match, an argument broke out between Monaco players and Fenerbahçe. After the match ended after Hall’s basket, Monaco players, Diallo and Blossomgome made gestures towards the Fenerbahçe fans sitting on the field. The debate became even more heated when some angry fans responded. When some fans wanted to enter the field, security forces and members of the technical staff of both teams intervened. Monaco players then went to the dressing room accompanied by security measures.