Fenerbahce has achieved to get the three straight victories in the EuroLeague and six in all competitions. They triumphed in the previous round by stunning Crvena Zvezda on their home court in Belgrade with a 96-91 win. They hold the second position in the current rankings of the EuroLeague with a 14-7 tally.
The turkish team has chosen the right time for increasing the intensity of their attacks. Besides, after three times losing they answered with three very significant wins. In those games they have received 84, 90 and 96 points duly respectively. They made 35 three-point shots out of 35 in Belgrade and 22/6 turnovers. The most memorable performance of the season was from the experienced Nicolo Melli with 16 total points including 5 three point shots.
Nevertheless, Nigel Hayes-Davis is the best of this game, and even of the season of Fenerbahce. He produced 27 points some of which were credited to great shooting ratio. The best on the team was Tarik Biberovic, who points 16, and a new signing player Errick McCollum coming with 7 of it. Surprisingly, Fenerbahce with 58.6 points per game take the fourth lowest in the EuroLeague. What this is due more to their customary speed (fifth slowest team in the league) and not necessarily their skill level. However, Istanbul has experienced the misfortune of flank injuries that greatly affect their tactical play in the offence.
They are only the sixth-best team in three-point shooting percentage (37.8%), and the last team in two-point shooting (50.0%). They shot the fifth most three-pointers and a big plus is the rebounding, especially on the defensive end, where they rank second in the EuroLeague. Still, there is one area that needs improvement – the home court productivity at this level of competition.
Fenerbahce has has 4 looses in ten home games. However, they boast the best away record in the league, having won seven of the three games that have been played on the road so far. Further, they still need to gain more assistants while at the same time lowering the turn over rates significantly.
Zalgiris snapped their four-game losing streak in the EuroLeague with a hard-fought 77-68 victory over Virtus, bringing their record to 11-10 and securing 11th place in the standings.
The game was anything but smooth sailing for Zalgiris, despite a strong start. They held a commanding lead at the end of the first quarter, but Virtus refused to back down. By halftime, the Italians had clawed their way back to within single digits, keeping the game tense until the final moments. Thankfully, Zalgiris held their nerve, capitalizing on their composure and Virtus’ struggles from beyond the arc—managing only four three-pointers throughout the game—to seal the win in front of their home crowd in Kaunas.
However, not all was rosy for Zalgiris, as questions loom around Lonnie Walker’s recent performances. Once a standout in Europe, Walker played 16 minutes in this match and contributed only six points, a far cry from his earlier season brilliance. His efficiency has been slipping, and the frustration has drawn public criticism from coach Andrea Trinchieri, who called out his tendency to take too many shots with limited success. Zalgiris will need him to rediscover his form if they hope to keep climbing the EuroLeague standings.
Zalgiris pulled off a thrilling win thanks to Sylvain Francisco's stellar performance. He dropped 20 points, sinking five three-pointers, and dished out four assists, including clutch plays in the final moments. Supporting him were Edgaras Ulanovas and Arnas Butkevicius, who also stepped up big time. The team showcased their shooting prowess by hitting 15 of 35 from beyond the arc. But, not everything was smooth—Zalgiris struggled at the free-throw line, going just 8/15, and let Virtus dominate the boards.
Known for their slow-paced style, Zalgiris has the second-lowest offensive rating in the EuroLeague, scoring the fewest points per game. Yet, they make up for it with a rock-solid defense—the best in the league—allowing the fewest points and keeping their opponents in check.
On the other side, Andrea Trinchieri has extra motivation in this matchup. After narrowly missing the Fenerbahce coaching job to Sarunas Jasikevicius, he’ll be eager to make a statement. His team has shown they can pull off surprises on the road, even as underdogs. But to pull off a win here, they'll need to step up their offensive game and find some rhythm they’ve been lacking.
