By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Thanks to the series of good results, Anadolu Efes put themselves in the position to clinch a Play-Ins spot in front of their fans in the Sinan Erdem Dome.
Tomislav Mijatovic’s side used the opportunity to the fullest, dominantly defeating Crvena Zvezda with a final score of 100-55 to book a place in the Top 10, securing ninth position in the standings with a 17-17 score. The Belgrade team suffered their toughest EuroLeague defeat and fell to 11-23, finishing the season 16th in the standings.
Elijah Bryant shined for the winning side with 26 points and a PIR of 24. Dan Oturu scored 13 points but had an identical PIR as Bryant—24. Derek Willis added 15 points, four rebounds, and assists for a PIR of 20, while Ercan Osmani scored 12 points and seven boards.
“It feels good; we got the win; everyone contributed. We have more important games in front of us, but we’ll celebrate this one tonight,” Bryant said after the match.
Anadolu Efes will learn its Play-Ins opponent after tomorrow’s games and the conclusion of the final round.
“The focus is on us. Whoever we play, I like our chances,” Bryant added.
On the other side, Luka Mitrovic led the way with 11 points and six rebounds for a PIR of 20, while Nemanja Nedovic and Rokas Giedraitis followed with 11 points each.
“If you see the score, you can understand how the game was today. We didn’t come to play. Unfortunately, we were not mentally ready to play a tough game. Congratulations to Efes, and good luck in the Play-In,” Crvena Zvezda’s coach, Ioannis Sfairopoulos, stated at the press conference.
Anadolu Efes pushing pedal to the metal amid unexpected tension
Having been out of contention for the postseason for a while, Crvena Zvezda lasted only 20 minutes in Istanbul. Anadolu Efes dominated the third quarter, outscoring them 31-13 and taking an insurmountable 76-44 lead.
With the match’s outcome already determined after 30 minutes, it seemed that the final 10 minutes wouldn’t bring tension. However, three players were ejected in the final period: Milos Teodosic after a hard foul and an argument with the referees, Joel Bolomboy and Tyrique Jones, after a brief altercation. The situation calmed down, and the Turkish side routinely closed the match out.
“We talked about our chances to advance in the competition, and if you recall, I was humble, but I said that we have players who have character, willpower, and willingness to fight on a daily basis, not just to prove something to themselves, but to compete to reach the highest possible goals. Step by step, they did it. I am superbly proud of them. They did a tremendous job in the course of reaching our first goal of being in the Play-In. Now, when we are fortunate enough to reach that first goal, with the help of our tremendous fans, we need to continue to stay humble and work hard, game by game, to reach our second step, which is the first game in the Play-Ins. But before we do that, we need to enjoy this,” Anadolu Efes head coach Tomislav Mijatovic commented after the game.