Valencia Basket beat Beşiktaş 96–94 at the Turkcell Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi in Istanbul on Friday, 25 September, spoiling the home club’s return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after 13 years (euroleague.net official box score; Anadolu Agency). T.J. Shorts scored a game-high 26 points for a 20 PIR, and his layup with 1:16 left put Valencia ahead for good (euroleague.net play-by-play; Basketball Sphere). It was Xavi Albert’s first EuroLeague win as a head coach (Basketball Sphere; Valencia Basket).
Beşiktaş led late in the first quarter before Valencia answered and took a 28–27 edge into the second; the visitors led 54–51 at halftime and 81–71 after three quarters (euroleague.net official box score; Anadolu Agency). Shorts scored 10 points in the first four minutes of the third as Valencia stretched the lead (Anadolu Agency). Then the hosts flipped the fourth. Conor Morgan, Jaylen Nowell and Scottie Wilbekin caught fire from deep; Morgan’s fifth three of the night tied the game 86–86 with 6:35 left, and Wilbekin’s three at 5:03 put Beşiktaş up 91–86 (euroleague.net play-by-play; Anadolu Agency). Morgan finished 15 points on 5-of-6 threes; Omoruyi and Nowell scored 17 each, and Wilbekin 12 (euroleague.net official box score).
Valencia refused to fold. Nikola Mirotić made free throws and finished with 13; Kameron Taylor’s basket tied it 94–94 with just over two minutes left (Anadolu Agency; euroleague.net). Shorts then drove for the 96–94 lead at 1:16. Eugene Omoruyi missed two free throws with 21 seconds left; Taylor missed two at the other end; and Nowell missed an open three with 1 second remaining (euroleague.net play-by-play; Eurohoops). Armoni Brooks, Jasiel Rivero and Neal Sako scored 10 each for Valencia; Taylor had 12 points and seven rebounds (euroleague.net official box score). Attendance was 5,103 (euroleague.net).
Across town, Fenerbahçe beat Virtus Bologna 78–68 at Ülker Sports and Event Hall. Virtus led 53–46 in the third quarter after Rasheed Bello’s layup; Fenerbahçe answered with a 13–0 run to 59–53 before Virtus free throws made it 59–55 at the end of the period (euroleague.net play-by-play; Basketball Sphere). The teams combined for 7-of-47 from three — Fenerbahçe 3-of-21, Virtus 4-of-26 (euroleague.net official box score; Basketball Sphere). Talen Horton-Tucker led Fenerbahçe with 13 points; Wade Baldwin and Shavon Shields scored 12 each; Braxton Key had 11 points and 10 rebounds (euroleague.net). Marcus Carr scored 12 and Derrick Alston Jr. 10 for Virtus. Attendance was 8,850 (euroleague.net).
In Belgrade, Partizan beat EA7 Milan 92–76 behind Carlik Jones’ 20 points, 10 assists and 33 PIR (euroleague.net official box score; Basketball Sphere). Milan tied it 57–57 late in the third; Partizan pulled away in the fourth, with Jones scoring eight points and assisting eight more of the hosts’ first 16 points of the period (Basketball Sphere; Eurohoops). Lamar Stevens scored 11 and Kevarrius Hayes 10 for Partizan; Marko Gudurić and Alec Peters had 17 each for Milan, with Devon Hall on 13 (euroleague.net). Attendance was 13,783 (euroleague.net).
Friday’s games tipped at 19:00, 19:45 and 20:45 CEST (13:00, 13:45 and 14:45 ET), completing Round 1 after Thursday’s seven games (euroleague.net).
Floor: Valencia 96–94 at Beşiktaş (Shorts 26 / 20 PIR, layup 1:16; Omoruyi/Taylor late FT misses; Nowell miss at 1s; Beşiktaş 91–86 at 5:03 after erasing 81–71); Fenerbahçe 78–68 Virtus (13–0 from 46–53; combined 7-of-47 threes); Partizan 92–76 Milan (Jones 20/10/33 PIR); tips 19:00/19:45/20:45 CEST (euroleague.net; Anadolu Agency; Basketball Sphere; Eurohoops).