Fenerbahce stifles Zalgiris in Playoffs opener 40
Fenerbahce Istanbul showcased a stellar defensive performance to start the EuroLeague Playoffs, beating visiting Zalgiris Kaunas 76-43 to take control of their best-of-five series.
Nikola Kalinic led Fenerbahce with 16 points, Marko Guduric had 13, and Erick Green netted 12 points in a victory.
Marius Grigonis was the only Zalgiris scorer in double figures with 10 points.
Guduric and Aaron White each scored first 5 points for their respective teams, including a triple apiece, before the visitors used a three-pointer from Arturas Milaknis during a 0-8 run to take a 9-13 lead. Fenerbahce’s Jan Vesely and Nicolo Melli already found themselves in foul trouble, but Kalinic hit a jumper and Luigi Datome a corner triple to restore the hosts’ lead, 15-13 after 10 minutes.
A triple from Kalinic kept Fenerbahce in front before the same player added a pair of layups to extend the margin. Three-pointers form Ali Muhammed and Guduric pushed the difference to double figures, 31-19. Grigonis had a tough runner to end an 8-0 run, but Muhammed nailed another three and Guduric drove the baseline for a huge dunk as Fenerbahce finished the quarter with a 7-0 run to open a 38-21 halftime lead.
Zalgiris held the hosts without a field goal for more than 3 and a half minutes to start the third quarter, but when Kalinic ended the drought, he increased the margin to 42-24. Grigonis had a three-point play and Leo Westermann nailed a baseline jumper to cut into the deficit, but Kalinic knocked down a three-pointer and Kostas Sloukas drove to the basket as the difference went up to 49-30. Green extended it some more and Melih Mahmutoglu hit a last-second triple to give Fenerbahce a 59-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The margin kept growing as Green and Datome hit from long range. Green’s jumper-plus-foul made it 68-39. Fenerbahce never stopped, kept the intensity even when players from the end of the bench took the floor and registered a huge win.
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