Fenerbahce secured its place in the EuroLeague Final Four after outlasting Paris Basketball 98-88 in overtime, completing a 3-0 sweep in the best-of-five playoff series.
The Turkish side held a 40-46 lead at halftime, but Paris fought back behind a standout showing from TJ Shorts, who forced overtime with a pair of late buckets in regulation.
Tarik Biberovic took control in the extra session, scoring the first seven points of overtime to give Fenerbahce a decisive advantage they wouldn’t surrender.
Shorts led all scorers with 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, tying his EuroLeague career-high and keeping the hosts in contention until the final minute.
Nadir Hifi added 24 points for Paris, while Sebastian Herrera contributed 6 off the bench including two made three-pointers.
Biberovic paced the victors with 21 points and hit five shots from beyond the arc, including a critical triple to begin the overtime period.
Nigel Hayes-Davis added 18 points for Fenerbahce, scoring from inside and outside while also converting a crucial three-point play late in overtime.
Marko Guduric tallied 14 points, and Errick McCollum chipped in with 8, including a first-quarter triple during a key momentum shift.
The game began with early baskets from Devon Hall and Tyson Ward, but a three-point barrage from Hayes-Davis, McCollum, and Biberovic helped Fenerbahce take an 18-19 lead after one.
The second quarter saw the visitors extend their edge as Guduric and McCollum found rhythm, and Pierre and Biberovic added timely contributions to send them into the break up six.
Paris responded in the third quarter, with Shorts and Hifi combining for a 6-0 run that gave them a brief lead, but a late triple from Hayes-Davis helped Fener regain control.
The fourth quarter featured several lead changes, with Khem Birch’s dunk and Baldwin’s jumper appearing to seal it for Fenerbahce before Shorts’ four straight points in the final 45 seconds extended the contest.
Biberovic’s outburst at the start of overtime was followed by scores from Guduric and Hayes-Davis, while Hifi’s four-point play proved to be Paris’s final push.
