By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A 17-5 run in the fourth quarter let Anadolu Efes beat Laboral Kutxa 95-86 and improve their chances to finish third in group B. This was the fifth win for the hosts (5-4), whereas the visitors suffered their fourth defeat (5-4), with both clubs having already qualified to the next phase.
For the winners, Thomas Heurtel was tremendous with 25 points and nine assists, with Dario Saric adding 12. On the other hand, Darius Adams had 20 points for the losing squad, as three more players were in double digits.
Laboral Kutxa made a great start to the game and immediately took a seven-point advantage (3-10, 6-13). Anadolu Efes couldn’t play well on both ends of the floor (14-21) and the Spaniards retained their lead until the end of the first quarter (16-21). Later, the Turks cut the deficit to three points (31-34), but the visitors responded with a 4-12 run to bring the lead back to double digits (35-46). Efes, though, managed to make a 6-0 run and were down by five after 20 minutes in the game (41-46).
In the second half, Efes enhanced their performance on both ends of the floor and made a 14-6 run to take a small advantage (55-52). The match remained close, as no team could take a significant lead, with the hosts being in front by just one (67-66) at the end of the third quarter. In the last quarter, the Spaniards regained the lead and tried to come closer to the win (75-79, 78-81), however Efes made an impressive 15-3 run and took a seven-point lead (88-81). Laboral couldn’t make a come-back and, consequently, Dusan Ivkovic’s team earned a crucial victory, which improves the squad’s chances to finish third in group B.