Fenerbahçe defeated Partizan with a defense that has already become part of EuroLeague history. Sarunas Jasikevicius's team recorded 14 blocks, a new competition record: the previous best mark was 12. Marcus Bingham was the standout performer with five blocks. The 74-65 victory leaves Fenerbahçe with a 5-1 record and sinks Joan Peñarroya's Partizan, who suffer their third consecutive loss.
Nothing suggested this outcome early on. Partizan came out hot with four straight three-pointers and dominated a low-scoring first half that ended 25-28 in their favor. From there, their outside accuracy disappeared: after that hot start, they made just two of their next 16 three-pointers.
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Horton-Tucker Breaks the Game Open
The game changed completely in the third quarter. Talen Horton-Tucker took control of the Turkish offense, Fenerbahçe's defense tightened up defensively, and a 34-16 run pushed the score to 59-44 heading into the final quarter.
Peñarroya summed it up after the game: "We defended very, very poorly in the third quarter. Three or four bad minutes in that period were the key."
Partizan won the final quarter (15-21) and cut into the deficit, but never threatened the home victory. Shavon Shields led all scorers with 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Horton-Tucker added 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
For Partizan, Ethan Thompson scored 13 points, and Lamar Stevens, who was questionable with a stomach issue, contributed 12 points, the same as Kevarrius Hayes.