By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite a good start by Anadolu Efes, FC Barcelona Lassa didn’t want to finish the EuroLeague season with a home defeat. The hosts prevailed (82-72), tied the playoffs series at 2-2 and everything will be decided next week in Istanbul.
Kyle Kuric with 19 points led a balanced team effort for Barcelona with Ante Tomic adding 13 points and Kevin Seraphin and Chris Singleton scoring 12 points each.
“It was a very, very good game”, said Kuric. “We had to bounce back after the last game here, keep fighting and show them we are not done yet. We have one more tough game – we have to go back to Istanbul and be ready. I just wanted to be more aggressive than in the first game and the last game. I just wanted to help my team win by being aggressive and attacking and playing with energy.”
Anadolu Efes started the game by building a 22-15 first quarter lead, but the hosts trailed just by two at halftime (and turned the tables the third quarter. Barcelona led even by 15 (63-48) and entered the last quarter with a 13-point advantage (63-50) by keeping Efes just to 12 points while scoring 27.
The Turks had made until this point just five out of 16 two-point shots and nine made threes in 21 attempts were keeping them in the game. There was not coming back after that, as the hosts stayed on the driver’s seat until the end.
Shane Larking scored 20 points and Krunoslav Simon had 17 but it was not enough.