By Stefan Djordjevic/ sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes dominated the first half against LDLC ASVEL and kept the distance for a 102-80 road win in Round 18 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Vasilije Micic put on an all-around performance with 23 points on 4-5 from deep while adding nine assists, five steals, and two rebounds for a total PIR of 35.
James Anderson logged a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Chris Singleton and Shane Larkin scored 16 points each.
For ASVEL, Norris Cole had a great shooting night, making all four of his three-point attempts for 22 points. Allerik Freeman, William Howard, and Charles Kahudi added 11 each.
Efes had everything under control from the start. They got lots of easy points from the free-throw line as their offensive prowess was too much for the French squad to stop without fouling. Coupled with the control of the boards as well as a solid defensive effort that forced 12 turnovers already in the first half, Efes found themselves up 54-34 at the break.
ASVEL tried to make a comeback but the Turkish team didn’t allow them to reach closer than a 15-point margin (62-47) and would respond each time with a run of their own.
Coach Ergin Ataman was very satisfied and noted that this was an important win for his team: “It’s very important, the second part of the EuroLeague for this season. Because we have a very important, big goal. Last year, they stole our effort. In the first half of this season, we didn’t make a good job but right now, I hope that this will be a good start to come back and fight for the EuroLeague title.”
Efes improved to a 9-9 record, the same amount of wins as TD Systems Baskonia and Olympiacos, while ASVEL now stands at 5-12.