Zalgiris Kaunas (11-11) didn’t hold a 13-point halftime lead in Istanbul. Andrea Trinchieri’s team lost 86-98 (20-17, 27-17, 21-28, 18-36) to Fenerbahce Istanbul (14-7).

Nigel Hayes-Davis led the winners with 21 points. Marko Guduric added 20, Tarik Biberovic had 15 while Arturs Zagars got 11 for Fenerbahce.

Alen Smailagic led Zalgiris with 24 points, a new career high. Sylvain Francisco added 16 while Ignas Brazdeikis got 12 for the guests.

Brazdeikis got Zalgiris going with a backdoor layup and struck twice from downtown for a 8-2 lead. Khem Birch banked in a close shot, then Dovydas Giedraitis and Bonzie Colson traded jumpers before Francisco hit a fadeaway shot for a 12-6 Zalgiris lead. Guduric downed a step-back jumper, Brazdeikis scored again and Errick McCollum soon brought Fenerbahce within 14-10. Francisco and Matt Mitchell struck from beyond the arc to make it a double-digit game, 20-10. Devon Hall joined the three-point shootout and downed a mid-range shot. McCollum sank a stop-and-pop jumper to bring the hosts within 20-17 after 10 minutes.

Smailagic buried a jumper early in the second quarter. Hayes-Davis stepped up with a put-back layup and bettered Smailagic's jumper with a bomb from downtown. Lonnie Walker IV dunked and a red-hot Smailagic restored a 28-22 Zalgiris margin. Zagars found his first points and Nicolo Melli scored in the paint, but Smailagic did better with three consecutive three-pointers, boosting the guests’ lead to 37-26. Smailagic kept pacing Zalgiris before Guduric and Hayes-Davis got Fenerbahce within 39-30. Francisco and Brazdeikis buried a jumper apiece for a 43-32 score. Sertac Sanli took over with a put-back layup, Smailagic matched that with a driving basket and Francisco scored off a steal for a 47-34 Zalgiris lead at halftime.

Biberovic buried a three-pointer right after the break. Arnas Butkevicius answered from downtown and Smailagic added a put-back layup to keep Zalgiris way ahead, 52-39. Hayes-Davis stepped up for Fenerbahce and Guduric added a three-pointer to give the hosts hope at 53-45 Biberovic swished his second triple and Giedraitis scored in penetration before Edgaras Ulanovas restored a 57-48 Zalgiris margin. Biberovic hit a floater which Zagars followed with a driving layup in a 6-0 run in which Guduric got Fenerbahce as close as 57-54. Francisco and Mitchell buried a triple apiece to give Zalgiris fresh air at 63-56. Biberovic and Zagars each stringed three-pointers but so did Francisco, banking in one from way downtown at the third-quarter buzzer for a 68-62 Zalgiris lead.

Guduric sank back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to tie the game, 68-68, early in the fourth quarter. Smailagic rescued Zalgiris with a wild three-point play, Zagars scored again and Hayes-Davis’ three-pointer completed the hosts’ comeback, 71-73. Biberovic scored around the basket and fed Hall for a three-pointer, good for a 72-78 Fenerbahce lead. Colson buried a huge step-back triple that Walker matched at the other end. Zagars banked in a close shot and found Hayes-Davis for a backdoor layup for a double-digit Fenerbahce lead, 75-85, with under 3 minutes left. Hayes-Davis kept delivering, and Colson’s wild put-back slam allowed Fenerbahce to seal an important win in style.