By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes Istanbul prevailed over Herbalife Gran Canaria with a 93-74 victory in Round 22 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at home.
Krunoslav Simon was exquisite all around the court and especially from the three-point line in favor of the hosts, adding 25 points (with 5/6 from afar), four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, setting sights for the weekly MVP honor with a PIR of 34.
Shane Larkin followed the Croatian forward’s lead, adding 18 points and six assists for Ergin Ataman’s squad that continues its winning path in the competition with a 14-8 record.
While the Spanish side didn’t give up easily and even managed to take the lead at some points, Efes didn’t allow them to remain in charge, paced by the compelling duo of Simon and Larkin.
“Shane Larkin had a great game tonight, he was important for us, and we won”, said Efes coach Ergin Ataman, before adding that things are going to get even tougher: “It was a difficult game, but we won by a 19-point difference. We have a difficult schedule coming up. In the next four games we will see if we will take one of the top four spots in the standings. Every game is like a final for us”.
Gran Canaria’s Clevin Hannah managed to cause enough trouble to the hosts’ defense with 4/5 from behind the arch and 16 points total, though it wasn’t enough to hand them a win of pride in Istanbul.
“They increased the level of defense in the second half. We gave them a lot of opportunities to score easy baskets after our turnovers”, admitted coach Victor Garcia.
Photo credit: EuroLeague