Fenerbahce became the first team through to the 2015 Euroleague Final Four after beating Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 75-74 after overtime to complete a series sweep.
Andrew Goudelock drove to the lane for the lay-up with 9.1 seconds left in overtime to seal a famous victory for the Turkish side, as they now prepare for their first ever Final Four appearance and the first for a team from Turkey since 2001.
Jeremy Pargo did have a chance to snatch it at the death, but his attempt missed and silence fell upon the Menora Mivtachim Arena.
“We were battling back and forth all game,” said Goudelock. “We missed a lot of shots down the stretch. So did they; everybody was just fighting. We just grinded it out. I missed maybe four or five shots that I normally make before [the winning shot], so I felt like I was due for at least one.
“I saw a seam to the hole and my team-mates got me the ball. They ran the play perfectly and I got an easy layup. We don’t think anybody in Europe can beat us. We can only beat ourselves.”
Nikos Zisis led the winners with 19 points, while Pargo paced the now outgoing Euroleague champions with a game-high 21.
Panathinaikos lived to fight another game after they edged CSKA Moscow 86-85 in Athens in their game three.
The Greek side still trail 2-1, but have confidence building to game four.
Nikos Pappas led Panathinaikos with 25 points, including the game-winning free throw with 3.5 seconds left. CSKA had a chance to seal it but Milos Teodosic intended pass missed Sonny Weems and the game was done.
“We were frustrated with our performance in the two road games and we came to play real basketball,” Pappas said. “For the whole team it was a matter of dignity and we had to prove ourselves able to compete and be strong. We played with heart and passion, but I am not really satisfied with our defence, especially in the last minutes, when we allowed CSKA to come back.
“However thanks to a little bit of good luck we survived and now we have to stay focused on the next game. CSKA Moscow is a team that can kill you in one minute, but at the end of the day we beat them and got a lot of confidence.”
Weems led CSKA with 24 points. Game four is Wednesday.
