By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Unicaja Malaga got a close 79-74 win against Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Day 5 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improved its record to 2-3, while the home team remains the only winless team (0-5) in the competition.
In the fourth quarter, the Spanish side thanks to a 13-5 run got a crucial two points lead (66-64) with five minutes left. The hosts couldn’t get the lead back again after this point.
Early on in the game, Unicaja had the upper hand with Giorgi Shermandini leading the way. The first quarter ended with the visitors showing their intentions and having a 25-19 lead. However, thanks to Vladimir Stimac who almost had a double-double (11 p., 9 r.) by halftime, Anadolu Efes managed to tie the game at 35.
In the second half, the home team started the game with a 7-o run. Malaga reacted and tied the game at 42, but the third quarter ended with Efes leading the way (57-51).
The star: Nemanja Nedovic with 13 points and 8 assists was once more the most important player, or if you prefer the best among equals.
The key: Unicaja did not give up and the end result was a great fourth quarter (26-15) that gave them the road win. The 20 assists they had also played a role.
Not enough: For the losing side, Vladimir Stimac was really good as he posted 17 points and 11 rebounds. Krunoslav Simon added 12.