By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Thanks to a stellar game by Vasilje Micic, Anadolu Efes dominated the Istanbul derby and got the 106-74 win over Fenerbahce BEKO. The hosts were trailing from the first minute and after an admirable 10-win run in the EuroLeague, they lost to their cross-town rivals as both teams now have 15 wins, but Efes has one less defeat with 10 compared to Fenerbahce‘s 11.
Micic scored 32 points of his career-high 37 points in the first three quarters, making 6/6 threes and 11/11 free throws while missing just two shots, leading Efes to a blowout win.
“It was just a lucky day for me”, said the Serb guard after the game. “However, I think that every player who stepped on the work gave his best for the team”.
He had great help from Sertac Sanli who finished the game with 13 points and set the tone early one.
To be exact, Efes jumped to a 24-9 advantage behind nine points by Micic and eight by Sanli, led by 13 at the end of the first quarter (24-11), and got a 20-point lead after 14 minutes of action and the first made shot by James Anderson in the game. “I think we won the game in the first quarter because we had a perfect start and got confidence”, said coach Ergin Ataman after the final buzzer.
Behind Jan Vesely and Nando De Colo, Fenerbahce trimmed the lead to 11 points (46-35) and closed the first half trailing by 14 (53-39).
However, with Micic being red hot, Efes jumped to an 81-56 lead just before the end of the third period, led even by 35 in the last period (100-65) and the game was over.
Rodrigue Beaubois added 14 points and Shane Larkin had 11 points for the winning side.
Nando De Colo scored 24 points, Vesely chipped in 18, but the issue for Fenerbahce throughout the game was the defense with Efes shooting 73% in twos and 56% in threes.