Fenerbahce will host Anadolu Efes today for the 4th match of the Turkish Basketball Championship finals.
Fenerbahce, after the defeats in the EuroLeague Final Four under the guidance of Jasikevicius, was 20 seconds away from the title on June 10. In the final against Anadolu Efes, the "Canaries" won the first two matches with a significant margin: the first match – 85:74, the second – 101:70. Fener's leaders Hayes scored 28 points in the first game and Wilbekin 24 points in the second. However, in the 3rd match, Fenerbahce led the entire game but lost 81:82. Nigel Hayes scored 16 points in the last match, with Scottie Wilbekin adding 17. Problems in the third match began with a drop in offensive efficiency and improvement in Efes's play. Despite scoring 17 points, Wilbekin showed a low shooting percentage (5/14), and although Calathes made 12 assists, he also struggled in the attack, making only 3 out of 7 shots. The team's three-point shooting efficiency declined (only 7 out of 24 shots), and overall, Fenerbahce's offensive play was less convincing compared to previous matches.
Wilbekin scored 17 points, made 5 assists, and grabbed 1 rebound in 29 minutes on the court; he was the only one to make 2 out of 3 three-pointers. Georgios Papagiannis added 12 points and 3 rebounds, Nick Calathes scored 10 points, 12 assists, and 3 rebounds, while the best Turkish player Sertac Sanli contributed to the team's game by scoring 9 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in 13 minutes, 10 seconds. Sanli hit 4 out of 4 field goals.
Anadolu Efes, despite the difficulties at the start of the series and being down 0-2 in the finals, showed character in the third match against Fenerbahce. The first game of the series ended in defeat for Efes with a score of 74:85, despite Erhan Osmani's 18 points. In this match, key players Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn were unable to assert themselves, which played a critical role in the final score. The second match was a blowout at 70:101, Larkin scoring only 5 points with 2/8 shooting, and Clyburn managing only 7 points with 3/10 shooting. After the unconvincing performance in the first match, the coaching staff of Efes, led by Mijatovic, decided to change the lineup, bringing in Bryant and Jones instead of Beaubois and Willis, but these changes did not bring the expected result. In the 3rd match, Bryant scored 9+3, and Jones was once again out of the lineup, Beaubois scored 7 points with 3/8 shooting.
Game 3 concluded with a tense struggle and a decisive shot by the underperforming Larkin, which brought Efes a victory with a score of 82:81. Several players stood out: Jerrell Willis led with 20 points, confirming his role as a key player in the attack. He also added 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Shane Larkin, although below his standards, still managed to secure the win with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Erhan Osmani also made a significant impact, scoring 13 points. Daniel Oturu scored 12 points.
In the first matches of the series, Fenerbahce dominated and was close to a sweep in the finals, but Larkin from Efes had other plans, depriving Fener of a deserved victory. The leaders of the visitors are playing extremely uncertainly, Fener has a much deeper roster with more top-class performers, so I am betting on their confident victory and the title of Turkish champions.
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