Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul delivered one of the most lopsided Turkish Derbies in EuroLeague history on Thursday, January 30, 2026, beating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 79-62 at Ulker Sports Arena.
The home side controlled the game from start to finish and improved to 17-7 in the standings, remaining first overall after Round 24.
Efes entered the matchup severely shorthanded, missing four primary guards in Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jordan Loyd, and Isaia Cordinier.
Sarunas Jasikevicius adjusted immediately, emphasizing guard play and ball movement to exploit the visitors’ limited backcourt depth.
The opening six minutes were low-scoring and disjointed, with both teams struggling offensively.
Talen Horton-Tucker capitalized early, scoring five quick points to push Fenerbahce ahead 9-5 before the first rotation.
Once Wade Baldwin IV and Nando De Colo checked in, the tempo and structure shifted decisively.
Their control of pace sparked a 12-0 run alongside Tarik Biberovic, allowing the hosts to break the game open.
Fenerbahce closed the first quarter with a commanding 25-8 lead, while Efes committed six turnovers and missed all six three-point attempts.
Baldwin orchestrated efficiently in the first half, finishing with eight points, six assists, and zero turnovers at the break.
Efes showed brief signs of life in the second quarter as Cole Swider knocked down consecutive triples, trimming the margin to 39-25.
The third quarter removed any remaining doubt.
Horton-Tucker scored 10 points in the first four minutes of the half and finished with 17 after halftime, stretching the lead to 52-30.
Jasikevicius again paired Baldwin and De Colo, restoring full control on both ends of the floor.
Fenerbahce’s defense held Efes to just 39 points through three quarters, its lowest output after 30 minutes since December 2017.
Horton-Tucker ended with 22 points, while Baldwin recorded nine assists without a turnover for the first time this season and posted a PIR of 17.
De Colo added 12 points, and Biberovic contributed 10 in a balanced scoring effort.
Saben Lee led the visitors with 19 points, though 17 came in the fourth quarter after the outcome was largely decided.
Fenerbahce closed January with a 5-1 record and now faces a three-game road stretch against FC Barcelona, Paris Basketball, and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.
Efes, now 6-19 and last in the standings, will host Valencia Basket on February 6 seeking to avoid a 10th straight EuroLeague loss.
