By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With a tremendous fourth quarter (10-24), Anadolu Efes beat Cedevita on the road 75-81 and is a step away from qualifying to the next round. This was the fourth win for the visitors (4-4), whereas the hosts suffered their fourth defeat (4-4) and lost a great opportunity to secure their place in the top-16.
For the winners, Dario Saric made an impressive double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds), as three more players were in double digits. For the losing squad, Miro Bilan was again dominant with 18 points and eight rebounds, with Jacob Pullen adding 17 points and five assists.
In the beginning, Cedevita made a better start and took a four-point advantage (11-7), however Anadolu Efes responded and with a 2-10 run ended the first quarter in front by four (13-17). Later, the match was close (24-25), with the Turks earning a small lead (24-30), but the Croatians came back with a 6-1 run (30-31). Dusan Ivkovic’s players, though, remained solid and retained their lead until the end of the first half (39-42).
In the second half, Efes immediately took a seven-point advantage (40-47), but Cedevita fought back and regained the lead with an 18-7 run (58-54). The hosts were impressive and closed the third quarter with a 7-3 run to extend their lead to eight points (65-57). In the last quarter, the Croatians took a double-digit advantage (68-58), but the Turks enhanced their performance on both ends of the floor, made a 2-17 run and regained the lead (70-75), with three minutes to go. Cedevita missed crucial shots, Efes remained solid and, consequently, the visitors claimed a big victory on the road (75-81), which brings them a step away from qualifying to the next phase.