Olimpia will complete a four-game home stint by facing European champions Fenerbahce at the Allianz Cloud. The dream is to achieve a perfect run after the wins over Panathinaikos, Bologna, and Real Madrid. In this third game in five days (with another to follow on Saturday in Desio against Cantù), fatigue, physical energy, and mental energy will play a role. Morale is obviously high. Olimpia is moving the ball well and achieving high three-point percentages (51.7% percent against both Panathinaikos and Real Madrid, two physically imposing teams), and is consistently scoring. It’s clear at this point that the magic number is 85: above that threshold, Olimpia is 8-1, below that it’s 1-6. Fenerbahce on the other hand, with its defense full of specialists like Devon Hall and Nicolò Melli among others, won five games scoring less than 85 points, a rare fact in this EuroLeague, but we are talking about the toughest defense in the whole competition. Fenerbahce is allowing 79.5 points per game and is doing so by hindering their opponents’ shooting percentages (49.4 percent from two, the best value overall, and 33.2 percent from three, good as the fourth-best overall). Therefore, Fenerbahce’s ability to stifle their opponents’ shooters will be the first obstacle to overcome for Olimpia, which currently ranks second in three-point shooting with 39.5 percent. In the previous round, Fenerbahce lost a home battle against Panathinaikos, the matchup between the last two teams to win the title, thus playing at a very high level.
NOTES – Olimpia Milano-Fenerbahce Istanbul is scheduled to be played on Thursday, December 18that Allianz Cloud in Milan, at 20:30.
REFEREES – Ilija Belosevic (Serbia), Milos Koljensic (Montenegro), Alberto Baena (Spain).
COACH PEPPE POETA- “It will be another extremely challenging test for us against the defending champions. Fenerbahce has the best defensive organization in the entire EuroLeague, is well-coached, and has a high level of physicality that they know how to use. Our ability to have a good pace and rhythm will be crucial for us.”
FENERBACHE OUTLOOK – Compared to the EuroLeague winning team in 2025, Fenerbahce has lost some relevant players as the Final Four’s MVP, Nigel Hayes-Davis (now in Phoenix, in the NBA) and Marko Guduric. Dyshawn Pierre, a veteran, and Errick McCollum, also left the team. On the other hand, Fenerbahce brought to Europe two NBA veterans: the guard Talen Horton-Tucker (305 games in six NBA seasons, averaging 9.2 points per game) and Brandon Boston (147 appearances over three years). At the guard spots, due to Scottie Wilbekin’s unavailability, Coach Jasikevicius is using a three-man rotation: Devon Hall, Wade Baldwin IV, and Horton-Tucker, strengthened by Boston and Latvian international Arturs Zagars. Hall plays nearly 26 minutes per game, averaging 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He’s shooting 58.7% from two and 91.7% from the line, playing multiple positions and focusing on defense. Horton-Tucker is averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 22.5 minutes on the court. Baldwin IV comes off the bench and is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points and 5.5 assists (also 3.1 rebounds). Boston has played sparingly so far (7.2 minutes, 2.8 points per game); Zagars has also had a number of physical issues. The roster is rounded out by thirty-five-year-old Melih Mahmutoglu, a club legend. The small forward is Tarik Biberovic (7.5 points per game in 21.2 minutes on the court), supported by Bonzi Colson, a veteran who can also play power forward and is averaging 9.2 points per game on 45.7% three-point shooting. Another option is Onuralp Bitim. The power forward is Finnish player Mikael Jantunen, who played in Paris last year, averaging 5.9 points, 40.0% three-point shooting, and 3.5 rebounds. Nicolò Melli plays both power forward and center, averaging 21.3 minutes on the court, 6.2 points, and 5.0 rebounds per game. Melli is shooting 41.2% from three. The center is Canadian Khem Birch (2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game), as is Armando Bacot, who had a stellar career at North Carolina but failed to find a spot in the NBA. In ten games, he is averaging 4.7 points on 60.0% from two.
THE FENERBAHCE CONNECTION – Nicolò Melli, who played for Fenerbahce in the past too, returned to Istanbul in the summer of 2024 after three seasons and three Italian league championships won with Olimpia. With 180 games, Melli is the Olimpia record holder for games played in the EuroLeague. Devon Hall has played 93 EuroLeague games for Olimpia with 806 points scored over three seasons. During these three seasons, he helped the team win the Italian league championship. Marko Guduric has played in Fenerbahce for seven seasons, winning the EuroLeague championship in 2025. Overall, he has 232 appearances and 2.317 points scored. Lorenzo Brown has played the 2020/21 season in Fenerbahce, with 37 games and 350 points scored; Devin Booker spent in Istanbul two seasons between 2021 and 2023, with 60 games played and 345 points scored.
