Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul emerged victorious over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a nail-biting EuroLeague matchup on Wednesday, clinching an 84-82 win after a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.
The intense match saw both teams vying for dominance across four quarters, with Maccabi seizing an early lead. In the first quarter, Maccabi’s defense stifled Fenerbahce’s offense, ending the period ahead 21-16. Fenerbahce rallied in the second quarter, narrowing the gap as Maccabi maintained a slim lead of 40-38 at halftime, propelled by Jaylen Hoard’s effective scoring. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce’s Nigel Hayes-Davis began making his mark, setting the stage for a strong second half.
By the third quarter, Maccabi extended their advantage to 11 points, leading 67-58 with Hoard and Jasiel Rivero driving the offensive effort. Fenerbahce, however, struggled to break through Maccabi’s defense, facing challenges that intensified as Wade Baldwin had difficulty finding his shooting rhythm.
The game took a turn in the fourth quarter as Fenerbahce surged back, largely due to Tarik Biberovic’s sharp three-point shooting, which shifted the momentum in their favor. Outscoring Maccabi substantially, Fenerbahce tightened their defense and capitalized on Maccabi’s errors, edging ahead by two points in the closing seconds. A crucial loss of possession by Maccabi on the final play sealed their fate, marking a narrow victory for Fenerbahce.
Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahce’s scoring with 20 points, with notable contributions from Devon Hall (16 points) and Biberovic (15 points). For Maccabi, Hoard’s 20 points, along with Levi Randolph’s 14 and the 13-point efforts of Saben Lee and Rivero, kept the game competitive but ultimately fell short.
The victory improved Fenerbahce’s EuroLeague record to 4-2, while Maccabi dropped to 2-4.
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