Fenerbahce waste huge lead but superb Calathes helps them take down Monaco / News - Basketnews.com

Fenerbahce blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead but came out on top against Monaco, 96-93. Nick Calathes scored 15 points and dished out 7 assists.

Credit: Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Two of the top teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague opened Round 9 with AS Monaco hosting Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. The latter squad blew a 19-point advantage but managed to defeat the team from the principality, which was undefeated in three home games this season, 96-93 (21-18, 24-20, 34-22, 17-33).

Player of the Game EFF 25 Nick Calathes Points 15 Accuracy 7-10 Rebounds 3 Assists 7

Nick Calathes led Fenerbahce to a double-digit lead in the second quarter (28-18). Carsen Edwards joined his teammate with 7 first-half points and a PIR of 14. Fener were leading 45-38 after two.

Little has changed at the Salle Gaston Medecin, where Fenerbahce were flexing muscles in the third quarter. The Turkish team outscored the hosts 34-22 and had plus 19 points (79-60) going into the last 10 minutes of the game.

Despite that, Dimitris Itoudis' men wasted a huge lead and had a nervous ending. After Elie Okobo's triple and Donta Hall's putback bucket, Monaco were just one point away with 42 seconds to play (91-92). Nigel Hayes-Davis sank two shots from the line on the other end (94-91), while Monaco had 16.7 seconds for an answer.

Fenerbahce chose to use fouls' tactic. Jordan Loyd scored a duo from the charity stripe (93-94) and Marko Guduric responded with the same sequence (96-93). Monaco had 10 seconds left on the clock, Mike James took the initiative, and pulled up from deep. However, his shot went off the mark and Fenerbahce celebrated the big win on the road.

Fenerbahce: Nigel Hayes-Davis 21 (5 REB), Nick Calathes 15 (7 AST, 25 PIR), Scottie Wilbekin 13 (7 AST), Marko Guduric 11.

Monaco: Jordan Loyd 18 (5 REB, 24 PIR), Mike James 17 (5 AST), Alpha Diallo 16 (5 REB), Elie Okobo 12 (5 AST), Donatas Motiejunas 11.

Game highlights

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