Baskonia gets the best in the end against Efes
MADRID, 22 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Baskonia beat Anadolu Efes (80-87) this Friday on matchday 16 of the Euroleague held at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, thanks to a final blow in the last quarter that returned the taste of victory to the Basques and prevented the rise of the Turks in the table.
Dusko Ivanovic's men found inspiration in time to score an important 9-7 to maintain their bid for the 'Top 6'. Again far from home, like in the defeat two days ago against Maccabi, but this time with plenty of fuel in the last quarter, where a 20-30 score left Efes in their losing streak (7-9).
Markus Howard (28 points) shined again, with an almost perfect game, and Baskonia also found its usual swords: Tadas Sedekerskis, Vanj Marinkovic, Codi Miller-McIntyre and Chima Moneke who provided the inside game and the rebound in the second time. With both teams in need of a win, the scoring did not open in the first half.
Baskonia went from less to more, improving with the entry of Howard and Moneke from the bench, but not enough to make a difference in the light. The success was by neighborhoods, although the Turks missed a little more than three-pointers (2/11 in the first half). Furthermore, Larkin's fuse was not lit but the former Baskonia player was expected to.
The Efes star broke out in the second half, reaching 23 points, but he lacked the company that Howard did have. The third quarter was a head-to-head between the two, but in the last quarter, Baskonia showed that they were more of a team. Moneke sent under the hoops and Marinkovic got it right for an even comfortable finish.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: ANADOLU EFES, 80 – BASKONIA, 87. (36-36, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
ANADOLU EFES: Larkin (23), Bryant (8), Thompson (8), Osmani (8) and Oturu (14) –initial quintet–; Beaubois (5), Hollatz (2), Jones (4), Gazi (3), Daum (3), Zizic (2).
BASKONIA: Miller-McIntyre (14), Marinkovic (14), Sedekerskis (11), Raieste (-) and Kotsar (-) –starting quintet–; Howard (28), Chiozza (2), Rogkavopoulos (5), Moneke (13), Diop (-).
–PARTIALS: 17-17, 19-19, 24-21, 20-30.
–REFEREES: Belosevic, Peerandi and Bissell. Howard fouled out.
–PAVIL: Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.