EuroLeague: Barcelona stun Fenerbahce Beko in Istanbul

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Fenerbahce Beko suffered a frustrating home loss to Barcelona late Thursday that ended the Istanbul club's three-game winning streak in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

The Spanish team toppled Fenerbahce 80-74.

Greek playmaker guard Kostas Sloukas led Fenerbahce Beko with a "double-double" at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall.

Sloukas scored 14 points and made 11 assists. He also took seven rebounds.

The home team's French star Nando De Colo produced 12 points.

De Colo's Serbian teammate Nikola Kalinic dropped 12 points against Barcelona as well.

Fenerbahce Beko’s American forward James Nunnally made 11 points.

The team’s other U.S. forward, Derrick Williams, scored 7 points for his team but missed all seven of his 3-pointers against Barca.

Barcelona's Spanish forward Victor Claver was the top scorer in the match, dropping 17 points.

But the visitors' Montenegrin-Spanish player Nikola Mirotic made major contributions to the away victory with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Barcelona's American guard Malcolm Delaney netted 14 points.

In addition, Barca guard Cory Higgins and center Brandon Davies scored 12 points each.

Davies also tallied six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Following the game, Fenerbahce Beko has an 8-12 win/loss record in the regular season. They are now in 12th position.

Fenerbahce Beko had a three-game winning streak in the EuroLeague as their last loss was in a Round 16 game against Valencia Basket by 100-98.

Since then, the Turkish team respectively beat Greece’s Olympiacos Piraeus (96-87), Spain's KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (79-65) and French opponents LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (86-64).

EuroLeague title contenders Barcelona have 14 wins and six losses to be in third spot in the standings.

The best eight out of 18 teams will bag EuroLeague playoffs tickets to play a best-of-five series once the regular season is completed.

There will be 34 rounds in EuroLeague's regular season, ending on April 10, 2020.

The playoffs winners will go through to the EuroLeague Final Four.

The 2020 Final Four will be held in Cologne, Germany. The Lanxess Arena will host the semifinals and final from May 22-24.

- Results:

Khimki Moscow Region - Real Madrid: 102-94

Fenerbahce Beko - Barcelona: 74-80

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv - AX Armani Exchange Milan: 69-63