Fenerbahce seems invincible

Fenerbahce decimated Afyon Belediyespor yesterday and extended its impressive streak in all competitions. Thereby Fenerbahce remained undefeated in the Turkish Basket League (10-0) and extended its winning streak to 15 games in all competitions.

The 2017 EuroLeague champions have made an excellent start to the season and have won 21 of their 22 matches. More specifically, the only team that beat them so far was Turkish rival Anadolu Efes in the fourth round of the EuroLeague on October 25 (89-83).

Since then, Fenerbahce has have been unstoppable and accumulated 15 straight wins. On Saturday afternoon, they rallied past Afyon Belediyespor (92-68), thanks to a 28-16 run in the first quarter.

Ahmet Duverioglu led the winners with 16 points, as Erick Green added 13. On the other hand, Marcos Knight posted a game-high 18 points for the losing squad, which dropped to 3-7. They will now have to fight until the end to avoid relegation.

Fenerbahce head coach Zeljko Obradovic has seen his players be in a great condition on both ends of the floor. The team had a very difficult schedule, especially in the EuroLeague.

In the first 12 rounds, Fenerbahce faced the likes of Zalgiris Kaunas, Baskonia, Olympiacos, Barcelona and Panathinaikos on the road. They also played against Maccabi in Tel-Aviv and playoff contenders Khimki, Bayern Munich, and Armani Milano.

Fenerbahce was victorious in all those games and now have the best record in that competition (11-1). The Turks have shown they have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the league. Their target is to qualify to the Final Four and win the title for the second time in three years. Not surprisingly, they are one of the grand favorites to earn the home-court advantage in the Euroleague playoffs. At the beginning of the season, many wondered if the team could handle the pressure that goes along with being a favorite and so far the answer has been a clear “YES.”

In the next two weeks, Fenerbahce will welcome CSKA Moscow (18/12) and Real Madrid (28/12) at home. The Muscovites and the 2018 EuroLeague champions are also the favorites to go all the way.

These two matches can very likely end the undefeated streak of Fenerbahce. But, if the Turks are victorious, they will prove that they currently are the best team in Europe.