By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Behind a sudden leap into a double-digit lead early in the second half and an immediate response to a comeback bid, Anadolu Efes mounted the 87-82 victory over Panathinaikos Thursday.
Lasting 37:30, Will Clyburn paved the way with 9/17 field goals and a total of 24 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26. The PIR of 32 fell slightly short of a new personal best for the 2022-23 season.
Both sides representing grieving countries, including the fans in the Athens gym, shaped a sad situation.
Ergin Ataman’s side drew up a 10-0 run spanning between the second and third quarters to build a 13-point advantage. A later sprint turned a three-point lead into a 16-point cushion early in the fourth period. The home side was held narrowly off shooting distance the rest of the way.
“I think we won the game in the third quarter,” suggested the Turkish tactician, “We made a perfect defense and shared the ball.”
Elijah Bryant fouled out late in the game with 16 points. Deeper down the stretch, Rodrigue Beaubois and Amath M’Baye also collected a fifth foul.
“We got in foul trouble, everybody got to play out of position a little bit. But everybody played hard, we fought today, and got the win,” noted leading performer Clyburn.
Shane Larkin is making plays
Shane Larkin posted a 13-point, 10-assist double-double while sinking at least one three-pointer for the eighth straight EuroLeague game. The back-to-back champions missed both Vasilije Micic (knee) and Dogus Balbay (hip) in netting back-to-back wins for a 13-12 overall W-L tally, containing a solid 6-8 on the road.
“I am put in a position right now where I play point guard the majority of the time because Vasa is out the last couple of games,” Larkin reacted to his first-ever EuroLeague double-double as a member of the Istanbul outfit, “We have a lot of talented players on our team. The point guard just has to try to get them involved, get them the ball so they can be successful.”
“He will start practice at the beginning of the week. If he feels comfortable, he will start to play,” Ataman updated the status of the usual playmaker, reigning back-to-back Final Four MVP and 2021 season MVP, Micic, “The doctors said the surgery is not necessary right now.”
Ergin Ataman with a positive update on injured Efes star Vasilije Micic: No surgery required and he's expected to start team practices next week pic.twitter.com/Zv4LkuYfjO
— Antonis Stroggylakis (@AStroggylakis) March 2, 2023
Micic, 29, has been sidelined for one month. His last appearance was in the Round 23 loss to Olympiacos in Peace and Friendship Stadium.
Greece mourns the loss of its children
It was the fifth loss in a row for the team led by Christos Serelis, who recently replaced Dejan Radonjic on the bench. Down to 8-18 with the seventh loss in 13 home games, eventually being eliminated from the Playoffs is a formality with only eight games left on the double-legged round-robin schedule.
It was far from a usual home game for the Greens or actually any EuroLeague affair as Greece mourns the victims of Tuesday’s train crash in Tempi. No music was played in OAKA Altion, while black banners were placed across both benches. Panathinaikos seemed to prefer Euroleague Basketball deciding to suspend the contest.
“Greece mourns the loss of its children” – The backdrop of Panathinaikos vs Efes game after the fatale train crash distaster pic.twitter.com/nzZhz69xEE
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) March 2, 2023
Tucking in 5/7 from beyond the arc, Marius Grigonis set his season-high at 23 points and Paris Lee followed with 19 points in the losing effort against Efes. Arturas Gudaitis (Achilles) and Dimitris Agravanis (abdominal) were left out of the lineup alongside Andrew Andrews and Nikos Pappas.
“We didn’t play aggressively, I think for 30-32 minutes. When we realized that will lose the game, we played harder,” commented Serelis.
Domestic home games and EuroLeague double-game week
Resuming action in Turkey’s BSL after one month, the team based in Istanbul will play host to Frutti Extra Bursaspor in Round 19 and aim to go up to 14-5 Sunday. The next steps will be in EuroLeague’s approaching two-game week with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet on the road Wednesday and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv at home Friday.
Panathinaikos will stay at home seeking a jump to 14-2 in Greece’s Basket League by taking down Karditsa Biologiko Xorio Saturday. From there to AS Monaco and Salle Gaston Medecin Wednesday and back in Athens to face Crvena Zvezda Friday.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net