Fenerbahçe Beko is heading again to the EuroLeague Final Four – once more.
The Istanbul giants steamrolled previous France’s Paris Basketball 3-0 within the quarterfinal collection, sealing their seventh all-time Final Four ticket and their second in a row underneath head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.
With this sweep – secured by scores of 83-78, 89-72 at house and 98-88 in Paris – Fenerbahçe turned the primary workforce to punch its ticket to Abu Dhabi, the place the Final Four ideas off May 23-25.
The Turkish powerhouse will face the winner of the opposite quarterfinal between Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos AKTOR.
That collection is degree at 1-1, with Efes reclaiming home-court benefit after a win in Athens.
Adversity into dominance
Despite ending second within the common season, Fenerbahçe’s marketing campaign wasn’t with out turbulence.
The membership endured a mid-season dip triggered by key accidents however rebounded strongly following strategic transfers.
Jasikevicius’ squad misplaced simply as soon as at house within the second half of the season – in opposition to Barcelona – and posted a 23-11 report, trailing solely Olympiacos.
Backed by a raucous Ulker Sports Arena crowd and a rejuvenated roster, Fenerbahçe regained its rhythm simply in time for the playoffs.
Playoff pedigree
Jasikevicius’ males made fast work of Paris, marking the fourth time Fenerbahçe has superior to the Final Four with a 3-0 sweep.
Previous victims embrace Maccabi Tel Aviv (2015), Real Madrid (2016), and Panathinaikos (2017).
The membership additionally made historical past final yr by turning into the primary EuroLeague workforce to win a decisive Game 5 on the highway – beating Monaco 80-79 in additional time. Now, Fenerbahçe has ousted French groups two years in a row.
Turkish basketball’s main mild
With this run, Fenerbahçe solidifies its standing as Türkiye’s most profitable EuroLeague membership. No different Turkish workforce has reached extra Final Fours – seven in whole. Anadolu Efes, by comparability, has 5 appearances (2000, 2001, 2019, 2021, 2022).
Fenerbahçe’s golden period consists of the 2017 title gained on house soil in Istanbul, together with three runner-up finishes and two fourth-place outcomes.
Over the final decade, they’ve reached the Final Four seven occasions – greater than every other workforce within the competitors.
One extra shot at glory
While Fenerbahçe’s coach is not any stranger to the EuroLeague’s greatest stage, the Lithuanian tactician continues to be chasing his first title.
Jasikevicius, 49, will now make his sixth Final Four look as a head coach. He debuted in 2018 with Zalgiris, then guided Barcelona to the semifinals three straight years (2021–2023). After taking on Fenerbahçe mid-season final yr, he’s now delivered back-to-back Final Four appearances – however has but to carry the trophy.
Source: www.dailysabah.com