By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Velimir Perasovic‘s team improved its record to 10-11, forcing Zvezda to fall to 12-9.
Derrick Brown was the leader for Efes with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, DeShaun Thomas was incredible in the final period and finished the game with 17 points and Bryant Dunston‘s presence in the front court was crucial as he added 16 more for the winners.
The hosts had the upper hand of the game in the first quarter, with Stefan Jovic and Marko Simonovic (17 points) contributing a lot, while Efes followed 20 – 16 after 10 minutes.
With Simonovic, the Serbian team expanded to 4 points, then Dunston tied the score at 27 points (14′) and then at 34 (17′), before Efes‘ outbreak began. Thomas Heurtel and Brown helped Efes get the lead with a double digit lead for the first time at halftime, 36 – 47.
Dunston sent the deficit to 18 points in the visitors’ favour at 22′, 38 – 56 and showed no mercy inside the paint! After 5 minutes, Nate Wolters (12 points) reduced to 8, still Efes kept a convincing 52 – 61 lead after 30 minutes.
Brown and Thomas led the Turkish team to a partial 15 – 5 run in the beginning of the final period, while the latter also made it a 22-point game, 54 – 76 at 33′.