euroleague working day 24
Madrid succumbed to Anadolu Efes in the midst of madness. The white team caught up in the Euroleague (the match was postponed due to the earthquake in Turkey) on a very passionate night. Chus Mateo’s team lost by 17 points (77-60) after the third quarter, knocked out by a hail of three-pointers and a very fast opponent, but he made use of his eternal capacity for resurrection to take the lead in the last stretch and barely succumb by one centimeter (90-89). Olympiacos retains an income victory in the leadership of the competition. There is no rest in the tournament and Madrid will have to reset immediately to receive Milan this Thursday when each victory is already worth double due to the proximity of the end of the league.
Anadolu Efes is far from the imperial version that dressed them as European champion last year. Today he suffers to return among the best. But there is no shortage of luxury pieces. With Micic recovered, against Madrid he deployed his entire offensive arsenal with flashes from Larkin (18 points), Bryant (17), Clybrun (15)… Madrid countered with a collective machinery in which a Deck of four fitted, the intimidation of Tavares and the doll of Musa. In this way Madrid commanded in many intervals of the first part, with the match relatively controlled, at least equalized in the clash of two European colossi.
Ataman’s troop moved in a gait, fearsome when it erupted. Thus he flew with 35 points in the third quarter and a blitz from the perimeter that seemed to end any discussion. But far from calming down and conserving their wide advantage, the locals kept their foot on the accelerator and converted that energy from before into precipitation. Madrid saw a loophole and from those 17 points behind, the white team led by Sergio Rodríguez was reborn to come back to life. The Turkish team had only scored two field goals in the first seven minutes of that last stretch. In the give and take of the decisive minutes, the comeback died on the shore with a three-pointer from Musa.
ANADOLU EFES, 90; REAL MADRID, 89
Anadolu Efes: Micic (10), Bryant (17), Clyburn (15), Singleton (11) and Pleiss (11) —starting five—; Larkin (18), Gazi (0), Dunston (8) and M’Baye (0).
Real Madrid: Hanga (2), Hezonja (8), Deck (15), Musa (16) and Tavares (13) —starting five—; Sergio Rodríguez (14), Causeur (3), Cornelie (2), Abalde (0), Rudy Fernández (3), Poirier (5) and Yabusele (8).
Partial: 18-24, 24-15, 35-21 and 13-29.
Referees: Belosevic, Paternico and Majkic. They eliminated Dunston by Anadolu Efes.
Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.
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