Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul delivered a dominant performance in its EuroLeague home opener, beating FC Bayern Munich 100-76 on Tuesday at Ulker Sports and Event Hall.
Fenerbahce controlled the game with aggressive defense, depth and a much-improved shooting display, using contributions from all 12 players to pull away from Bayern. The victory moved Sarunas Jasikevicius’ team to 2-0 to start the season.
Marcus Bingham made his first major impact in the EuroLeague after joining Fenerbahce from UNICS Kazan. The big man scored 12 points, shooting 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range, while also adding three rebounds and two blocks.
Talen Horton-Tucker led Fenerbahce with 19 points and five rebounds, while Wade Baldwin IV added 13 points and eight assists. Nicolo Melli scored 11 points, and Sertac Sanli contributed 10.
Fenerbahce’s offensive balance was reflected in its 25 assists and 121 team PIR. The hosts also shot 50% from three-point range, making 15 of 30 attempts, with eight different players hitting at least one three-pointer.
That marked a significant improvement from the opening round, when Fenerbahce made just three of 21 attempts from beyond the arc against Virtus Bologna.
Defensively, Fenerbahce’s switching scheme prevented Bayern from establishing the high-tempo game it wanted. The visitors shot only 25.9% from three-point range, making seven of 27 attempts, while committing 15 turnovers.
Duane Washington led Bayern with 20 points, while Rokas Jokubaitis added 12. Johannes Thiemann and Austin Wiley each scored eight points for Anton Gavel’s team.
Bayern remained competitive early, but Fenerbahce steadily built its advantage and finished the game with a 24-point margin. The hosts also held a 34-27 edge on the glass.
Fenerbahce will now face Dubai Basketball at home on Friday, while Bayern Munich will host Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on the same day.
