Bad Start to Double-Game Week in EuroLeague!
The first double-game week of the 2024-2025 EuroLeague season did not start well for our two representatives, as both suffered defeats. Undefeated in their first two games, Fenerbahçe Beko lost at home to Crvena Zvezda. Anadolu Efes also faced disappointment, narrowly missing a last-second shot in their game against Maccabi, resulting in a 93-91 loss in Belgrade.
Fenerbahçe Beko’s Struggles Against Crvena Zvezda
Under the guidance of Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahçe Beko struggled against Crvena Zvezda, who led the game from start to finish. The Turkish side lost 76-56 in front of their home crowd, marking their first loss of the season in their third game. Fenerbahçe was without Marko Guduric due to injury and Tarik Biberovic due to suspension.
After the game, Coach Jasikevicius said: “Crvena Zvezda came here with a great desire to win and were better than us in many areas. They played faster and were more aggressive on the 50-50 balls. We couldn’t defend well. It’s incredible that we held them under 80 points despite their transition offense. Offensively, we were terrible. We committed too many turnovers, couldn’t create opportunities, and made poor decisions.”
Anadolu Efes’ Narrow Loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv
Anadolu Efes visited Maccabi Tel Aviv in the third week of EuroLeague action, losing a closely contested game 93-91 in Belgrade. Efes tied the game 91-91 with just a minute left, but Jaylen Hoard’s basket for Maccabi with three seconds remaining sealed the victory. Shane Larkin’s final shot missed the target, giving Maccabi the win.
Coach Tomislav Mijatovic commented after the match: “It was a tough game that ended on a single possession. We had some communication issues on the last play. There were also injury problems during the game, with players like Omercan Ilyasoglu and Shane Larkin struggling. We need to address these small details to overcome this bumpy phase, but I’m confident that we will get better and reach the level we aim for.”
Both Turkish teams will be looking to bounce back in their next fixtures in this challenging EuroLeague season.
