Biberović tied his career high with 26 points and was the driving force behind the team that took complete control after the opening 9:15. Experienced Nikolo Meli also made a big contribution, adding 13 points and five rebounds, bringing calmness in key moments.
The support from the stands carried Fener to +18 (51:33) at the beginning of the second half. Zalgiris tried to come back with a 0:12 run, but that was it. The Lithuanians completely stopped in the finish, especially from distance (5/22 for three).
Nigel Williams-Goss led the way for the visitors with 24 points, while Moses Wright added 19. However, team leader Sylvain Francisco was not at his best – he shot 3/12 from the field for 15 points. The second match will be played on Thursday, again in Istanbul.
In the second match of the evening, Olympiacos demonstrated their strength against Monaco – 91:70 for a 1:0 series lead.
After a tied first quarter, the home team broke the deadlock with a run at the end of the first half (10:0), and then completely shut down their rivals in the third quarter, allowing them only 15 points.
Regular season MVP Saša Vezenkov was the most efficient with 20 points. He was followed by Corey Joseph, Evan Fournier and Nikola Milutinov with 13 each, with the Serbian center also adding 10 rebounds.
The only one in good spirits for Monaco was Mike James with 19 points, while Alpha Diallo scored 15.
Panathinaikos defeated Valencia 68:67 at the "Rodj Arena".
The Greek team played without Kostas Slukas, and Valencia entered the match as one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. However, Panathinaikos opened the game better, primarily thanks to Kendrick Nann, who was in high spirits in the first quarter and quickly scored 14 points. The guests led 23:15 after the first ten minutes.
The second quarter saw solid defense on both sides. Valencia tried to close the gap, but Panathinaikos held control and the advantage for a long time.
In the third quarter, the Greeks were up by +9, after points from Nana and Huanchao Hernangomez, but the home team came back through Cameron Taylor, Nathan Rivers and Jean Montero.
The match entered a state of complete suspense in the final seconds. Valencia managed to tie the game at 67:67, so the decision came in the final seconds.
With two seconds left, Nan went to the free throw line. He missed the first one, hit the second one and gave Panathinaikos a minimal lead of 68:67.
Valencia had the final attack, but Nigel Hayes-Davies reacted well in defense and prevented the winning shot.
The most efficient player for the winner was Nan with 21 points, while for Valencia, Jean Montero scored 15.
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