Madrid uses big fourth quarter to beat Fenerbahce

Real Madrid used a huge fourth quarter to down Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 77-61 in the Spanish capital on Friday night. The win keeps Madrid in first place in Group A with a 6-2 record, while Fenerbahce drops to 4-4 and fourth place, still needing one victory to secure a place in the Top 16. The visitors led for 29 minutes in Madrid, but the hosts made a crucial 19-3 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. During that span, Real Madrid did not allow a single field goal for six-and-a-half minutes, opening up a 64-52 lead and putting the game away. Nikola Mirotic led Madrid with 18 points, Marcus Slaughter finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaycee Carroll and Felipe Reyes each scored 10 points. Bojan Bogdanovic had 18 points for Fenerbahce, while Emir Preldzic and Bo McCalebb each finished with 10 in defeat.

First quarter: Fenerbahce takes an early lead

Mirotic started the game with a dunk and Mike Batiste opened Fenerbahce's account with a jump hook. Emir Preldzic and Rudy Fernandez traded driving layups before a fastbreak layup and a triple from Bogdanovic made it 6-9. After Mirza Begic and Batiste traded dunks, Batiste sank a tough three-pointer, extending visitors’ lead to 8-14. The hosts cut the deficit to 2 points with Sergio Llull and Carlos Suarez combining to score the teams’ next 6 points, however Bogdanovic hit again from downtown to make sure the visitors stayed in front. In the final minute of the quarter, Romain Sato was called for a technical foul and Mirotic hit a pair of free throws to make it 16-19 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Bogdanovic keeps visitors in front

Bogdanovic hit a jumper to open the second quarter, and David Anderesen hit a three-pointer making it an 8-point game. Madrid caught up with Dontaye Draper taking over at the point. Jaycee Carroll hit a wide-open triple and Slaughter had an easy dunk to cut the deficit to 3 points. After Andersen made a tough fadeaway jump shot, Slaughter tipped in an alley-oop pass from Draper as the hosts managed to cut it to 28-30. Bogdanovic ended the visitors’ three-minute slump with a jumper before McCalebb sank an off-balanced triple for 32-37. Madrid got back within 1 thanks to Fernandez and Felipe Reyes combining to make 4 of 6 free throws as well as Mirotic tipping in Rudy’s missed free throw, before Prledzic hit both foul shots to give Fenerbahce a 36-39 halftime lead.

Third quarter: Madrid regains the lead

Bogdanovic continued leading Fenerbahce’s offense with a jumper at the beginning of the third quarter. Preldzic also added one of his own, however, it came in between back-to-back triples from Mirotic and Fernandez that tied the game for the first time after first quarter, 43-43. Bogdanovic answered with his third three-pointer of the game to remain a perfect 7 for 7 from the floor and McCalebb sank a triple as well for 45-49, but Sergio Rodriguez and Mirotic converted layups on consecutive possession to start a 9-3 run, capped with Slaughter’s big dunk for 54-52 at the end of the third quarter.

Fourth quarter: 23-5 run puts the game away

Madrid used Omer Onan’s unsportsmanlike foul in the first minute of the fourth quarter, as Carroll made a pair of free throws and Mirotic sank a triple from the right corner for 59-52. Carroll’s basket-plus-foul made it a 10-point affair for the first time in the game, before Rodriguez went coast-to-coast for a layup and 64-52. Ilkan Karaman hit a jumper to snap Fenerbahce’s field goal drought that lasted for more than six minutes, but Carroll made a layup and Reyes hit a triple to extend margin to 71-56 and relieve the game of drama. Before the game’s end, Slaughter and Rodriguez scored inside making it 77-57 to cap a 23-5 run, and Sato and Preldzic rounded out the scoring in the final minute.