By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes prevailed over ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne with a 90-84 victory in Round 9 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and moved up to a 7-2 record.
“Considering that four teams have come here before us and returned home with a defeat, it was a very important win for us. ASVEL played well, we struggled to win the match, but we played very wisely”, mentioned Ergin Ataman after the game.
Shane Larkin led five players of Efes in double digits with 17 points, while Vasilije Micic paced the team with an all-around performance of 16 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.
In a game with many ups and downs for both teams, Efes managed to bounce back in the second half and started expanding its deficit to double digits in the final period and edged their hosts with a team effort.
Apart from Larkin and Micic, Rodrigue Beaubois also stepped up with 16 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Anadolu Efes will seek to exceed its winning streak on Thursday when they face Olimpia Milano.
On the other end of the court, Jordan Taylor, Tonye Jekiri and Livio Jean-Charles all shared 12 points for ASVEL that will face Fenerbahce with hopes to bounce back in Round 10.
Mitrovic: This was our best offensive performance
Despite the defeat, coach Zvezdan Mitrovic was satisfied: “This was our best offensive performance in the EuroLeague this year and I think it was a great game. Maybe it was different than the games before but when you play against maybe the most talented offensive team in Europe and the second-ranked team in Europe, it is very difficult. It was really great. It was a priceless experience for all my guys to play against a team like this.”
On the other hand, NBA prospect Theo Maledon who had 10 points and seven assists, wanted oven more: “This was our best offensive performance in the EuroLeague this year and I think it was a great game. Maybe it was different than the games before but when you play against maybe the most talented offensive team in Europe and the second-ranked team in Europe, it is very difficult. It was really great. It was a priceless experience for all my guys to play against a team like this.”
Photo: EuroLeague