Anadolu Efes defeated Milano 79:73 on their home court in the EuroLeague’s 25th round, securing their 9th win.
For the home team, Erkam Yilmaz, Dogus Ozdemiroglu, Daniel Oturu, Justus Hollatz, and Mike Daum did not play. Billy Baron was unavailable for Milano.
The coaching change at Anadolu Efes was expected to provoke a certain reaction from the Istanbul squad, but in the opening minutes, it was challenging to discern the direction the game would take. Neither team managed to find an offensive rhythm, given their poor shooting percentages, resulting in the first quarter ending with a tied score of 15:15.
Seemingly, this was a rhythm that suited Ettore Messina’s team much more, and it was clear that Anadolu Efes needed to accelerate if they wanted to gain an advantage. However, the opposite occurred. Milano managed to maintain a slower pace and, led by Rodney McGruder and Nikola Mirotic, built a 10-point lead, which the home team slightly narrowed before heading into halftime.
What Anadolu Efes couldn’t achieve in the second quarter, they accomplished in the third. The team led by Tomislav Mijatovic, particularly Shane Larkin, entered an exceptional rhythm, relentlessly burying the opponent’s basket with the help of Tibor Pleiss. At one point, they held a remarkable 24:5 advantage in the third quarter, turning the tables to take a double-digit lead (plus 14 before the fourth quarter).
Minute by minute, Anadolu Efes appeared more confident, while Milano seemed like a team lacking belief in win. However, with six minutes left, Messina’s team managed to close the gap, coming within just minus two with a 10:2 run and then equalizing after a basket by Shavon Shields. Will Clyburn then took responsibility, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to give his team a six-point lead with a minute and a half remaining. After that, there was no coming back for the visitors.
The top scorers for the winners were Larkin and Pleiss with 19 and 17 points, respectively, while Shields led the guests with 17 points.
In the next round, Anadolu Efes hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Milano welcomes Real Madrid.
Tomislav Mijatovic secured his first win as the head coach of Anadolu Efes.
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) February 2, 2024
The Turkish team delivered an excellent performance in the third quarter. #Euroleague pic.twitter.com/lLrWj9PtbV
ANADOLU EFES – MILANO 79:73 (15:15, 19:28, 30:7, 15:23)
Venue: “Sinan Erdem arena,” Istanbul
Referees: Perez, Kardum, Baena.
Anadolu Efes: Larkin 19, Beaubois 4, Bryant 9, Oncel, Gazi, Clyburn 8, Thompson 9, Yildizli, Pleiss 17, Osmani, Willis 9, Jones 4.
Milano: Lo 2, McGruder 16, Poythress, Tonut 3, Melli 2, Napier 7, Flaccadori, Hall 2, Shields 17, Mirotic 6, Hines 2, Voigtmann 16.