Fenerbahce Leave Abu Dhabi with a Win, but Jasikevicius Worries About the Third Quarter – The 85-77 Victory Could Be an Early Warning

Abu Dhabi witnessed a milestone for European basketball. The EuroLeague SuperCup left the continent for the first time, and the third-place game ended 85-77 in favor of Fenerbahce. In the stands, fans stood and applauded. Turkish players shook hands as if they had won a major trophy. But I was not watching them. I was watching Sarunas Jasikevicius – Fenerbahce's head coach – standing in a corner, arms crossed, his face showing no satisfaction at all.

JFK Airport taught me one thing: to get through the door fast, don't stand in line. I have spent more than three decades in this business, from airport hallways to closed meeting rooms, and that night I was not lining up to celebrate. I skipped the final score and looked at the third quarter – where Fenerbahce, a team built on big contracts, was pushed almost to the breaking point by Dubai BC, a new team in the European basketball ecosystem.

Dubai BC is not a trivial team. Elie Okobo and Davis Bertans, each scoring 14 points, showed they have real offensive weapons. But what caught my attention was not their scoring; it was the physical pressure they created. They played tough, contested every loose ball, and made their opponents lose their rhythm. Jasikevicius admitted it right away: his team played well for three quarters, but was not prepared for the physicality of the opponent in the third.

I have seen many teams lose because they underestimated exhibition games. Not because they lost, but because they did not see their own weaknesses. That night, Fenerbahce saw theirs. The question is whether they have the courage to face it.

I remember the summer of 2026, when I left the stands and ran to a corridor during a big game, just to confirm a nod from an agent. That moment reminded me that basketball – like life – is not played on the court, but in informal conversations. What Jasikevicius said to the media that night may differ from what he said in the locker room, but the issue he emphasized – physicality – is real and is the most important signal.

Now let's talk about the numbers. Talen Horton-Tucker led the game with 23 points. He was Fenerbahce's primary scorer, but there is no shooting-efficiency data to say whether that volume is sustainable. Wade Baldwin IV scored 11 points – all in the fourth quarter. Was that by design? If Jasikevicius is saving Baldwin for closing moments, that is a serious tactical signal. If it was luck, it is a gamble.

The 10-0 run in the fourth quarter changed the game. From 70-70, Fenerbahce took a 74-70 lead and held on. That moment showed this team can explode in a short span. But it also showed fragility: without a star stepping up at the right time, they might have left Abu Dhabi in fourth place.

People in the know never speak loudly. They nod in hallways, behind closed doors. That night, Jasikevicius did not need to speak loudly for me to see his worry. He did not talk about THT's 23 points, did not talk about the win. He talked about loose balls, about small details, about physicality. That is the language of a man building a foundation, not celebrating.

The empty summer of 2026 – the world slept, I stayed awake reading the fine print. I learned that in basketball, as in life, the fine print often decides everything. In this game, the fine print was the third quarter – where Fenerbahce stopped being themselves. That is where Dubai beat them on most contested possessions. Talent can rescue you in the fourth quarter, but talent cannot save you in a playoff series if this crack is not fixed.

Trent Forrest scored 11 points; that is a positive early signal, but like any newcomer, he needs time to settle in. THT has athleticism and creativity, but the question is whether he can maintain his performance when opponents play more physically. One game – especially a third-place game – is not a large enough sample.

The crowd left Abu Dhabi with a positive feeling: Fenerbahce won their last game of the trip, finished third, and got a sparkling performance from their stars. But I will offer a contrarian take: this very win may be hiding serious problems. A third-place game at a new tournament in Abu Dhabi carries no real pressure. Dubai BC is not a EuroLeague contender. If Fenerbahce builds confidence on this night, they may regret it.

Jasikevicius seems to understand this better than anyone. He did not praise his team's talent; he talked about details, about loose balls, about strength. This is a deliberate communication strategy: lower expectations, emphasize toughness, and build an identity before the real battles begin. But will the players listen? THT might think 23 points is enough. Baldwin might think the fourth quarter is enough. Meanwhile, their coach is saying that talent means nothing without small details.

Based on my experience watching these games, I can tell you that top teams like Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, or Olympiacos will not ignore a quarter like that. They will watch the film, attack the loose-ball possessions that Dubai won, and turn it into a weapon. If Fenerbahce does not close this hole, the losses will come in the regular season, not in October but in the do-or-die games.

There are things that cannot be seen on the scoreboard. That night, the scoreboard showed 85-77, but the real story was elsewhere. A team with EuroLeague title ambitions cannot let a newly formed team hold them until the fourth quarter, in a game where they were clearly ahead in roster quality. The win is a rescue, but also a warning.

Everyone in Moscow laughed at number 17. I looked at his legs and made a bet. I learned that the crowd often sees only the surface. Tonight, I saw what few noticed: Fenerbahce is a team with multiple stars who can shine in the fourth quarter – Baldwin and THT give them two closing options. That makes them hard to game-plan in decisive moments. But they are also a team with inexplicably bad quarters. That contradiction will define their season.

At 50, I am old enough to tell the truth: every transfer is a planned escape. And every exhibition win, whether in Abu Dhabi or anywhere else, is a planned lie – unless you know how to read the numbers behind it. Fenerbahce won for real, but their weaknesses are also real. The only question is whether Jasikevicius has enough time to fix them before the EuroLeague regular season starts.