Wade Baldwin capped off a milestone night with a clutch jumper in the final seconds to secure Fenerbahce’s 83-78 victory over Paris Basketball in Game 1 of their EuroLeague Playoff series on Tuesday night.
The American guard led the Turkish side with 15 points, reaching 2,500 career points in all competitions and reaffirming his position as one of the continent’s elite scorers.
Baldwin added another 14 to his EuroLeague tally, which now stands at 2,014 across 180 appearances, placing him 40th all-time but with a scoring average (14.0 ppg) that exceeds some of the most prolific names in league history.
Fenerbahce needed Baldwin’s poise in critical moments, as the 29-year-old twice halted extended scoring droughts and drained a buzzer-beater to end the first half with momentum.
The defining play came with 10 seconds remaining when Baldwin hit a long two to give his team a two-possession cushion, effectively ending Paris’s hopes of a comeback.
Paris was led by Nadir Hifi, who finished with a game-high 21 points on 5-for-9 shooting from deep, while Tyson Ward added 19 in an efficient display.
T.J. Shorts contributed 17 points and seven assists for the French squad, who shot 70.4% on two-pointers but were undone by turnovers and late-game execution.
Fenerbahce countered with a more balanced offensive effort, with Nigel Hayes-Davis scoring 14 and Devon Hall adding 13, supported by solid minutes from Bonzie Colson (10 points) and Dyshawn Pierre (6 rebounds).
The hosts were effective inside, converting 50% of their two-point attempts and winning the rebounding battle 40-30, which proved decisive in a tightly contested affair.
The victory marks Fenerbahce’s fourth consecutive win, with Baldwin registering double-digit points in each, a strong indication that his return to form following multiple injury layoffs is timely for the postseason push.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is scheduled to take place later this week in Istanbul, where Fenerbahce will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Paris.
