Barcelona convincingly defeated Anadolu Efes by 91-74 in a highly anticipated matchup in the first round of the EuroLeague.
Anadolu Efes appeared more confident at the beginning of the game but failed to establish a significant lead. They had a four-point advantage on two occasions. However, the end of the first quarter favored Barcelona as they went on a 7-0 run to lead 22-19.
Barcelona extended their run at the start of the second quarter, building a nine-point lead at one point. Efes made a comeback, narrowing the deficit to two points. With a strong finish to the first half, the Spanish team went into halftime with a six-point lead.
In the remainder of the game, Efes made every effort to mount a comeback but couldn’t succeed. Barcelona thwarted their efforts and maintained a constant lead. After the third quarter, they held a five-point advantage, largely due to Willy Hernangomez’s excellent performance during that part of the game.
At the beginning of the final quarter, the home team effectively secured the win. Through excellent defense, they established a double-digit lead. Efes tried to make a comeback but fell short, ultimately suffering a defeat.
Willy Hernangomez led his team to victory with 18 points, while Shane Larkin finished the game with 14 points and was the top scorer for his team.
In the next round, Spanish team will be visiting Greece to face Olympiacos, while Efes will host Real Madrid.
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EuroLeague – Barcelona: Another restart in Catalonia that doesn’t promise
BARCELONA – ANADOLU EFES 91:74
Arena: Palau Blaugrana, Barcelona
Referees: Radovic, Difallah, Jovicic
Barcelona: Da Silva 4, Vesely 16, Brizuela 7, Kalinić 4, Satoransky 8, Hernangomez 18, Laprovittola 12, Abrines 9, Parker 10, Nanji, Jokubaitis 4, Parra
Anadolu Efes: Larkin 16 (12as), Beaubois 4, Bryant 10, Clyburn 7, Thompson 2, Pleiss 5, Hollatz, Osman, Yilmaz 3, Willis 8, Zizic 9, Jones 10