FC Bayern Munich defeated Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 85-76 Wednesday at SAP Garden, handing the Turkish team its third consecutive EuroLeague loss.
Bayern led from start to finish, holding Fenerbahce below 20 points in three of four quarters and forcing 15 turnovers while dominating the boards 39-32.
Neno Dimitrijevic scored a career-high 22 points, including 10 in the final quarter, while Justinian Jessup added 16 points with five three-pointers, hitting a clutch shot late to secure the victory.
Fenerbahce closed to 79-76 with 41 seconds left, but a corner three by Jessup put the game out of reach, preserving Bayern’s win in coach Svetislav Pesic’s final home game.
Bayern opened strong, with a 17-2 run in the first quarter to build a 43-30 halftime lead despite the presence of Fenerbahce’s traveling supporters.
Dimitrijevic and Jessup were key in controlling the pick-and-roll and finding shooters like Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Andreas Obst, contributing to Bayern’s efficient 42.1 percent field-goal shooting and 43.3 percent from three.
Fenerbahce was led by Tarik Biberovic’s 21 points and Talen Horton-Tucker’s 13 points, but struggled to convert from distance, making 11 of 30 three-pointers and finishing with 36.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The loss drops the defending champions to 23-13 in EuroLeague play, while Bayern improves to 15-20 and finishes its home schedule with momentum heading into the final games of the season.
Bayern visits Virtus Bologna on April 7, while Fenerbahce faces Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in Arena 8888, Sofia, Bulgaria, the same day.
