By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Sidelined with a sprained right ankle since late October, Shane Larkin is projected to potentially return to action for Anadolu Efes on Tuesday evening.
Larkin, 32, was officially listed as a game-time decision by the Istanbul outfit heading to a clash with FC Bayern Munich in the Basketball Development Center. Players dealing with more recent injuries, Rodrigue Beaubois, Dogus Ozdemiroglu, and Erkan Yilmaz are expected to be available at the top of the next two-game week of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.
The experienced combo guard, Larkin recently rejoined his teammates in team practices, working toward resuming his seventh season with Efes. Before being placed on the injury list, he logged five appearances in the ongoing EuroLeague campaign, averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 assists per contest.
The two-time EuroLeague champion joined the Turkish club before the 2018-19 season. Expanding the lasting relationship with Turkiye to the senior national team of the country, Larkin played as the naturalized player of the squad in the 2022 EuroBasket.
In the NBA, he was featured in 269 games, spread between the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks, after being selected with the 18th overall pick of the 2013 draft.
Following the Round 13 affair versus Bayern, Efes moves to Round 14 and visits Zalgiris in Zalgirio Arena on Thursday. The team coached by Croatian tactician Tomislav Mijatovic is currently part of a four-way tie at 6-6, at the bottom end of the Play-In Showdown zone.