Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul punched their ticket to the EuroLeague Final Four after surviving one of the most intense playoff games in recent memory. The Turkish powerhouse defeated Žalgiris Kaunas 94-90 in overtime on Friday, closing out the best-of-five series 3-1 and setting up a semifinal clash with Olympiacos Piraeus.
The contest remained tightly contested throughout at the Žalgirio Arena, where the passionate home crowd fueled every Žalgiris rally. The Lithuanian side had a chance to seize control late in regulation, but Wade Baldwin IV drove through traffic and converted a layup with 1.6 seconds remaining, tying the game at 80-80 and forcing overtime.
Fenerbahçe leaned on their experience when it counted most. After Žalgiris scored the opening basket of overtime, Nicolo Melli buried a deep three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run that turned the momentum decisively in favor of the visitors and silenced the arena.
Khem Birch delivered the standout performance of the night. The center posted 21 points and 13 rebounds, setting new career highs in scoring and performance index rating (31). He consistently punished Žalgiris on the glass and around the rim. Talen Horton-Tucker matched Birch’s scoring output with 21 points and added six rebounds, while Baldwin contributed 14 points and Tarik Biberovic chipped in 11.
Žalgiris received strong production from Sylvain Francisco, who bounced back with 23 points and 11 assists after a quieter start to the series. Azuolas Tubelis added 16 points and five rebounds following his 26-point explosion in Game 3, and Edgaras Ulanovas finished with 15 points. However, their efforts were not enough to force a Game 5 back in Istanbul.
Head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius, a four-time EuroLeague champion as a player, reached his sixth consecutive Final Four as a head coach, a record. He achieved the milestone against his Lithuanian compatriot and longtime friend Tomas Masiulis. After the game, Jasikevičius stated that he believed his team was the better side for most of the series while also praising Žalgiris for their fight.
Fenerbahçe’s comeback keeps alive their bid for back-to-back EuroLeague titles. For a team that relied on composure in a hostile environment, this victory carries the weight of a playoff win that can fuel a deep run in May.
