By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
After suffering a tough loss to Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 24 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Anadolu Efes parted ways with coach Erdem Can, and assistant coach Tomislav Mijatovic took charge of the team.
In his first game at the helm, the Istanbul side defeated Olimpia Milano 79-73 after a big comeback in the dominant third quarter, to tie the score with the Italian team at the standings at 10-15.
Shane Larkin and Tibor Pleiss led the comeback with eight points each in the third period, which Anadolu Efes ended up winning 30-7. After trailing by nine points at halftime, they grabbed a 64-50 lead entering the final quarter, which proved to be crucial in the final outcome.
Larkin ended up as the MVP with 19 points and six assists, resulting in a Performance Index Rating (PIR) of 24. Meanwhile, Pleiss contributed 17 points and six rebounds. These two players were the only ones in double digits, with Elijah Bryant, Darius Thompson, and Derek Willis each adding nine points.
“Our energy changed the game. We came back more aggressively after halftime, discussing the need to play with more aggression in the locker room, especially after the poor defense in the second quarter. Clyburn started defending the opponent’s point guard, increasing the pressure. We translated our energy into offense, and everyone played with more confidence. We fought together and secured a crucial victory at home,” Larkin said after the match.
Shavon Shields led Milano with 17 points, while Johannes Voigtman and Rodney McGruder added 16 points each. McGruder, a former NBA player, delivered his best performance yet with the Italian champions in the EuroLeague.
Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina emphasized the drop in his team’s performance during the third quarter, explaining it’s not the first time something like that has happened to his team.
“First of all, I congratulate Anadolu Efes. It’s a disappointing result for us because we played very well for three out of the four quarters. Our dismal performance in the third quarter cost us the game. Explaining the third quarter is really difficult; unfortunately, it’s not the first time we’ve experienced this. It’s evident that we are fragile because we’ve gone through this many times. We keep talking about solving this issue, and hopefully, one day, we can resolve it,” Messina said.
Anadolu Efes’ coach Tomislav Mijatovic shared his impressions after securing his first win at the helm of the team.
“Our players displayed tremendous effort on the court. The last two days have been emotional for us, with significant changes in the team. Following this situation, we had to react today, and our players responded appropriately with the tremendous fight they showed. I would like to express my gratitude to all of them. We made several mistakes in the first half due to a lack of communication, providing our opponents with many easy three-point opportunities. Our opponents capitalized on these chances, widening the gap. However, this did not diminish our belief in victory. Upon returning from the locker room, our players fought exceptionally well and were highly effective in pressing the ball. We made some adjustments in one-on-one defense, and it paid off. As a result, as I mentioned, we secured the victory through the outstanding effort of our players. Every player who participated contributed, and our fans provided wonderful support,” Mijatovic said.