Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul continued its dominant run in the EuroLeague with an 88-70 victory over AS Monaco on Thursday, March 5, at Ulker Sports and Event Hall.
The result strengthened the Turkish club’s position atop the standings, improving its record to 22-7 while extending its winning streak to nine games in EuroLeague play and 18 across all competitions.
The rematch of last season’s EuroLeague Championship Game quickly tilted in favor of the hosts, who dictated the tempo from the opening minutes.
Fenerbahce opened the game with a 9-0 run and built a 12-4 lead, setting the defensive tone early by limiting Monaco to just 15 points in the first quarter.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team maintained control throughout the night, outscoring the visitors in every quarter and preventing the French side from finding sustained offensive rhythm.
Talen Horton-Tucker played a central role in establishing that control, especially during the second quarter.
The guard scored five consecutive points early in the period to push Fenerbahce ahead 25-17 and entered halftime as the only player in double figures with 10 points.
Fenerbahce carried a 44-36 lead into the break after executing efficiently in half-court sets while limiting Monaco’s perimeter production.
The visitors attempted to respond early in the second half as Mike James helped reduce the deficit to 53-46.
However, Horton-Tucker quickly halted the momentum shift.
The American guard scored three consecutive baskets, including a transition dunk off a steal, extending the lead to 59-46 and restoring control for the home side.
Monaco made one more push in the fourth quarter when Nemanja Nedovic hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut the margin to 69-62.
That run was immediately answered by Horton-Tucker, who scored eight straight points to stretch the advantage back to nine.
Tarik Biberovic then sealed the outcome with two late three-pointers as Fenerbahce closed the game comfortably.
Horton-Tucker finished with a game-high 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 9-of-14 from two-point range.
His performance came just one week after he scored 29 points against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, continuing a strong stretch late in the regular season.
Fenerbahce also received balanced scoring from several contributors.
Bonzie Colson added 14 points and shot 4-of-6 from three-point range, while Wade Baldwin and Tarik Biberovic each finished with 10 points.
The home team controlled the glass with a 43-33 rebounding advantage and shot 64.9% inside the arc.
Monaco struggled offensively, shooting 44.2% from two-point range and just 21.1% from beyond the arc.
Mike James led the visitors with 14 points and eight assists, while Jaron Blossomgame added 12 points and Daniel Theis scored 11.
Fenerbahce will visit Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade next Friday, while Monaco returns home to face Olympiacos Piraeus on Thursday.
