Turkish side Fenerbahce rallied from sixteen points down to edge past Greece opponents Olympiacos in a thrilling EuroLeague fixture. The visitors struggled on offence during the opening half at Sunel Arena but mounted a determined comeback after the interval. Wade Baldwin scored a decisive layup in the closing seconds to secure the victory.
Fenerbahce began the match brightly by claiming an early five-to-one lead. Olympiacos then produced a massive seventeen-point unanswered run to seize control of the contest. The hosts finished the opening quarter comfortably ahead at twenty to eight.
The Greek team extended its advantage to sixteen points in the second quarter, making the score thirty to fourteen. Fenerbahce managed to narrow the deficit slightly before the half-time interval, leaving the scoreboard at thirty-four to twenty-four in favour of the hosts.
Istanbul outfit Fenerbahce emerged with renewed intensity after the break. They opened the third quarter with a ten-to-two run to reduce the gap to just two points at thirty-six to thirty-four.
Olympiacos answered with eight unanswered points of their own. The visitors fought back immediately with another eight-point run, though the hosts still managed to enter the final period leading forty-nine to forty-five.
Olympiacos stretched their cushion to fifty-nine to fifty-one during the fourth quarter. Fenerbahce responded with a late nine-to-two burst to pull within one point at sixty-one to sixty with just one minute and eleven seconds remaining on the clock.
Baldwin then drove for a key layup with thirty-eight seconds left. This basket gave Fenerbahce their first lead since the opening minutes at sixty-two to sixty-one.
The visitors extended their advantage to sixty-four to sixty-one from the free-throw line. Sasha Vezenkov then missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the dying seconds, sealing the remarkable comeback for the Turkish team.
Shavon Shields led the scoring for Fenerbahce with seventeen points and seven rebounds. Baldwin contributed fourteen points and five assists, while Shane Larkin added thirteen points and five assists.
For Olympiacos, Sasha Vezenkov recorded a double-double with seventeen points and ten rebounds. Codi Miller-McIntyre contributed twelve points and six assists, and Tyson Ward chipped in with eleven points.
After this result, Fenerbahce improved their record to six wins and one loss. They are now level with EuroLeague leaders Panathinaikos, while Olympiacos dropped to five wins and two losses.
