By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Efes needed the home win to remain in the race for the post season and cut the last hopes of Baskonia for a miracle.
The Turkish side won 92-76 behind 18 points by Rodrigue Beaubois. Shane Larkin scored 16, Elijah Bryant had 11 plus seven assists, and Vincent Poirier with 10 points and six rebounds also made things happen.
Thanks to this result, Efes is now tied with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Paris between the 7th and the 10th spot of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague standings with a 17-14 record.
“Winning feels great. We didn’t start the season the way we wanted, and until now, we hadn’t managed to put together a winning streak like this. So, finding our rhythm and building the right team chemistry at the most crucial point of the season feels amazing“, Larkin said after the match.
Trent Forrest with 17 points and Markus Howard with 15 were the top scorers of Baskonia.
The guests dropped to a 13-18 record, remained on the 14th spot, and they are out of the postseason.
Efes in control
Efes closed the first period with an 8-0 run in the last two minutes and built a 28-22 lead, ironically when Beaubois, who had already 10 points, got some rest.
That was the start for the hosts to create real distance, leading 37-26 after three minutes of action in the second quarter. Baskonia reacted and made it a two-point game (39-37) with an 11-2, but Efes closed the first half up by five (49-44).
However, the momentum changed and Baskonia opened the third period with another 8-0 run, taking the 52-49 lead. The game turned into a dogfight,t and with one minute left in the quarter, Efes was leading by two (61-59).
And suddenly, vintage Larkin appeared, making two threes and pushing the lead to eight (67-59) entering the fourth period. PJ Dozier followed with four straight points (71-59), and Efes was back in control.
Baskonia couldn’t get closer than six points until the end of the game, with the hosts cruising to the win.
“More than the numbers, our passion on the court was what mattered today. We were incredibly aggressive on defense, and our offensive power was great. We struggled at the start of the third quarter, but we never gave up. After the timeout, our players responded, showing great focus and energy. We controlled the rebounds, but as I said, our mentality was more important than the stats,” Anadolu Efes’ head coach Luca Banchi said after the match.
Photo credit: EuroLeague