Fenerbahçe Beko Takes 1-0 Lead Over Monaco in EuroLeague Playoffs

Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul defeated AS Monaco 95-91 in overtime in Game 1 of their best-of-five EuroLeague playoff series on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead. The game was played at Salle Gaston Médecin in Monaco.

Fenerbahçe rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to force overtime, where they took control and secured the crucial road win. Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahçe with 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Nick Calathes scored 17 points and Nathan Sestina added 16 points off the bench, including a career-high 4 three-pointers. "Nate was huge for us tonight," said Fenerbahçe head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius. "He gave us a big lift when we needed it."

Despite a strong performance from Monaco's trio of Elie Okobo (19 points), Jordan Loyd (16), and Mike James (16), who combined for 51 points, it was not enough to prevent the home loss. Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic acknowledged the defeat but believes his team can bounce back. "We fought hard but came up short in the end," Obradovic said. "We will learn from this and be ready for Game 2."

Why this matters: The winner of this playoff series will advance to the EuroLeague Final Four, which Fenerbahçe is aiming to reach for the sixth time. Monaco is seeking its second consecutive Final Four appearance after making its debut last season.

Game 2 will be played on Friday in Monaco, before the series shifts to Istanbul for Game 3 on May 1 and potentially Game 4 on May 3. In the other EuroLeague playoff matchup on Wednesday, Olympiacos Piraeus defeated FC Barcelona 77-75 at Palau Blaugrana to also take a 1-0 series lead. The teams that win three games in their respective series will qualify for the EuroLeague Final Four, which will be held in Berlin later in May.

Key Takeaways

• Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul defeated AS Monaco 95-91 in OT in Game 1 of EuroLeague playoffs.
• Fenerbahçe rallied from a 14-point deficit to force OT and secure a crucial road win.
• Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahçe with 19 points, while Nathan Sestina had a career-high 4 3-pointers.
• The winner of this series will advance to the EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin.
• Olympiacos Piraeus also took a 1-0 series lead, defeating FC Barcelona 77-75.