Rodrigue Beaubois took the reins of Anadolu Efes in the absence of Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn, leading them to a win against Tofas by 95:93.
With this triumph, Anadolu Efes has tied for the top position in the Turkish Super League table with Fenerbahce. Both teams now have 19 wins and three losses. In this game, the mentioned key duo from Istanbul did not play, so other individuals had to compensate for their absence.
Head coach Tomislav Mijatovic’s team showed many ups and downs throughout the majority of the game. At one point in the middle of the second period, they had a huge 23-point lead (51:28). However, they allowed their opponent to go on a 12:0 run, resulting in a halftime score of 51:40.
The third quarter offered something rarely seen. Tofas played nearly flawlessly for ten minutes, hitting 10 out of 12 field goal attempts. They didn’t miss a single two-point shot (8/8) and were perfect from the free-throw line (9/9). They won this quarter with a score of 31:16, taking a 71:67 lead into the final ten minutes.
Although they briefly led by seven points at the start of the final period, Rodrigue Beaubois took matters into his own hands, orchestrating a 5:0 run to break Tofas’ resistance and secure the win for Anadolu Efes.
His impressive performance included 27 points, four assists, and two rebounds in 25 minutes of play. He shot 10/13 from the field and missed only one three-pointer, going 5/6 from beyond the arc. Elijah Bryant filled up the stat sheet with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. In the losing effort, Cassius Winston, a former EuroLeague player, led Tofas with 24 points.