FC Barcelona claims pivotal win at Fenerbahce Ulker

In an outstanding showdown that came down to the final shot, FC Barcelona stayed undefeated in Group C by downing Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 78-80 on the road on Thursday. Barcelona leads Group C with a 4-0 record, while Fenerbahce dropped to 2-2. Brad Oleson paced the winners with 16 points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting. Justin Doellman and Ante Tomic each added 12, while Juan Carlos Navarro had 11 for Barcelona. Luka Zoric led Fenerbahce with 18 points on 9-of-10 two-point shooting and 10 rebounds. Andrew Goudelock added 16, Nemanja Bjelica had 14 while Emir Preldzic got 11 for the hosts. A driving layup by Bjelica gave Fenerbahce a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes and a wild buzzer-beating triple by Huertas tied the game, 41-41, at halftime. Goudelock shined after the break and a four-meter jumper by Preldzic gave the hosts a 58-51 margin late in the third quarter. Oleson had 5 points in a 0-11 run that put Barcelona ahead for good and sank back-to-back triples for a 64-72 Barcelona edge. Fenerbahce rallied and got within 78-80 on a jumper by Hickman. The hosts had the chance to win the game but Hickman and Preldzic missed respective three-point shots with 39 and 4 seconds left, respectively.

First quarter: Zoric shines as Fenerbahce climbs in front

Semih Erden got Fenerbahce going with a put-back basket, which Ante Tomic matched with an alley-oop layup. Emir Preldzic sank a one-handed jumper, but a three-pointer by Juan Carlos Navarro and a wild dunk by Justin Doellman highlighted a 0-6 Barcelona run, good for a 4-8 lead. Preldzic and Zoric fueled an 8-0 run that Ricky Hickman capped with a layup for a 12-8 score. Doellman nailed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer and even after Jan Vesely stepped up with a tip-in, Tomas Satoransky scored in penetration and fed Alex Abrines for an alley-oop slam, forcing Fenerbahce to call timeout at 14-15. Zoric ignited the crowd with a huge slam in traffic which Navarro matched with a left-handed 'bomba'. Zoric kept pacing Fenerbahce with a put-back basket. Satoransky shined with a dunk and a free throw by Bogdan Bogdanovic tied it at 19-19. Nemanja Bjelica took over with a driving layup to put Fenerbahce back ahead, 21-19, after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Highlights all over

Andrew Goudelock found his first points early in the second quarter. Tibor Pleiss scored down low, but a driving layup by Preldzic restored a 4-point Fenerbahce lead. Zoric took over with another put-back basket as Barcelona struggled to find open shots. Marcelinho Huertas buried a close shot and fed Tomic for a three-point play that brought the guests within 27-26. Zoric ignited the crowd with a fast break slam and matched Maciej Lampe's jump hook with a baseline jumper, but a three-pointer by Brad Oleson tied it at 31-31. Zoric found Bjelica for a layup. Tomic split foul shots and a jumper by Oleson put Barcelona back ahead, 33-34. Preldzic shined with a big basket in the low post and a layup-plus-foul by Bjelica gave Fenerbahce a 38-34 edge. Navarro and Tomic hit free throws. Vesely scored in transition before a wild, outstanding, buzzer-beating three-pointer by Huertas tied it again, 41-41, at halftime.

Third quarter: 0-11 run puts Barcelona in charge

Goudelock took over with a quick break right after the break and a jumper by Hickman gave Fenerbahce a 45-41 lead. Tomic scored around the basket and soon banked in a jump hook to tie things. Bjelica found space for an uncontested three-pointer, but Doellman answered with a put-back layup. Goudelck struck from downtown for a 51-47 Fenerbahce advantage. Hickman split free throws and an off-balance basket by Goudelock made it a 7-point game. Lampe made free throws and a jumper by Zoric kept Fenerbahce way ahead, 56-49. After Huertas sank his trademark running jumper, Preldzic downed a four-meter shot. A three-point play by Doellman brought Barcelona within 58-54. Barcelona found a new go-to guy in Oleson, who followed a three-pointer with a reverse layup to put the guests back ahead, 58-60. Doellman capped a 0-11 Barcelona run with a fast break layup, before Hickman stepped up with a floater. Free throws by Pleiss gave the guests a 60-64 edge.

Fourth quarter: Defense seals Barcelona victory

Huertas sank another running jumper early in the fourth quarter. Bjelica took over with a driving basket and Zoric added a reverse layup to get his team within 64-66. Oleson sank another three-pointer, and another one to break the game open, 64-72, with eight minutes to go. Goudelock hit a floating layup, but Pleiss split free throws and a fast break slam by Abrines made it 66-75. Goudelock scored again and a three-point play by Bogdanovic gave Fenerbahce hope at 71-75. Abrines hit a six-meter jumper, as Barcelona held the hosts scoreless for two minutes. Zoric nailed a mid-range jumper to get to 73-77 with three minutes left. Navarro struck from downtown, but Goudelock answered with a wild three-point play and Hickman added a jumper that made it 78-80. Hickman missed from downtown already in the final minute, but Fenerbahce got the ball back with 16 seconds left. Preldzic tried to win the game with a three-point shot, but he missed and Barcelona returned home with a thrilling road win.