ISTANBUL — Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul bounced back from their defeat to Panathinaikos with a convincing 99-80 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas at home in Istanbul on Tuesday, 13 October, using sharp perimeter shooting and a decisive third quarter to take control in EuroLeague Round 5.
The Turkish champions have improved to 4-1 and maintained their unbeaten home record, while Zalgiris have dropped to 2-3 after struggling to contain the hosts following half-time. Fenerbahce opened strongly to lead 27-14 after the first quarter and stretched the advantage to 22 points in the first half, before a lapse in defensive concentration late in the second quarter allowed the visitors to cut the deficit to 50-43 at the interval. Carsen Edwards led the Lithuanian side with 20 points, including four three-pointers, to spark the recovery.
Fenerbahce restored authority after the break, outscoring Zalgiris 28-13 in the third quarter to rebuild a comfortable cushion and close out the contest. Shavon Shields led the hosts with 17 points, Braxton Key added 15 and Will Clyburn contributed 14, while Nicolo Melli finished with 10 points and Wade Baldwin IV recorded six points and seven assists as the scoring was spread across the rotation. The hosts finished 13 of 29 from beyond the arc at 44.8%, a marked improvement after making just nine of 30 attempts in the loss to Panathinaikos, with nine different Fenerbahce players connecting from long range.
There was further encouragement for the hosts as Shane Larkin returned to EuroLeague action following an injury layoff, playing 15 minutes for five points and three assists while contributing at the defensive end. Fenerbahce will look to maintain momentum when they host Partizan on Thursday, while Zalgiris will try to respond at home against Anadolu Efes on Friday.