By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes wanted to make noise with a road win and did exactly that in Tel Aviv. At Maccabi‘s castle the players of coach Velimir Perasovic closed a close game the right way and prevailed 86-77.
With 5 minutes left, Maccabi Tel Aviv thanks to a three by Devin Smith had a one point lead (73-72). Anadolu Efes reacted and thanks to a 5-0 run which was concluded with a crucial three by Tyler Honeycutt got a 78-73 advantage. That was the start of a 10-4 partial score (82-77) with the hosts entering the last minute leading by five, which proved to be more than enough.
Derrick Brown had one more amazing night (22 p., 11 r.), Honeycutt did the same with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assist and 3 steals while Bryant Dunston had 14 points, as the front line of Efes dominated the court.
Maccabi had five scorers in double digits with Smith and Maik Zirbes having 13 points each, but couldn’t make anything work in the last five minutes. It’s obvious if you consider the fact that Maccabi had 21 assists and also 21 turnovers, while Anadolu Efes ended the game with 26 assists and 12 turnovers. Both teams now have a 5-5 record with the hosts registering their first win in Tel Aviv since 2001.