Fenerbahce Beko minus stars topple Russia's Khimki

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish basketball club Fenerbahce Beko beat Russia’s Khimki Moscow Region 89-76 on Thursday to score two consecutive wins in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season.

Many Fenerbahce Beko stars such as French guards Nando De Colo, Leo Westermann, Serbian forward Nikola Kalinic and Czech center Jan Vesely didn't play against Khimki Moscow in Istanbul, but the Turkish team were victorious.

Khimki Moscow led the first half 49-44 against Fenerbahce Beko at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall in Istanbul. But in the third quarter, the home team displayed an excellent defensive performance, allowing the Russians to score only six points.

Fenerbahce Beko took a big step for the win in that quarter, scoring 21 points as they were ahead 65-55 before the last 10 minutes.

"The key, for sure, was the third quarter. They scored only 6 points. We took confidence and played much, much better offensively. We understood very well what kind of defense they played and tried to punish it every time," Fenerbahce Beko head coach Zeljko Obradovic said in praise of his players' performance.

Fenerbahce Beko’s Italian forward Luigi Datome scored 20 points against Khimki Moscow.

Fenerbahce Beko guards Kostas Sloukas and Melih Mahmutoglu dropped 19 points each.

Sloukas also produced nine assists for his team.

Khimki Moscow’s Latvian forward Janis Timma was the game's top scorer with 26 points.

The visitors' American forward Anthony Gill tallied 18 points and nine rebounds.

Following its victory over Khimki Moscow, Fenerbahce Beko has a 4-7 win/loss record in the EuroLeague.

The Istanbul team had two wins in a row. In Round 10, they beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 88-72 in France.

In the next fixture, Fenerbahce Beko will take on Germany's ALBA Berlin on Dec. 6. in Istanbul.