Anadolu Efes – Villeurbanne 78-72: He got what he wanted with fire and iron

Villeurbanne laid (very) hard in Anadolu Efes, but two small eruptions in the third and fourth periods broke up the landscape. The hosts clinched the win (78-72) and returned to the top eight a week ahead of Olympiakos.

Shane Larkin (19 points, 8 assists, 4 steals) and Krunoslav Simon (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) did most of the work from the periphery, in a game where Vassilie Mitsic was disappointingly inaccurate (7 points with 1/2 two points, 1/6 three points and 2/2 shots).

At the other end, Marcos Knight (21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals) tried hard but couldn’t avoid the loss as Villeurbanne finished the game with 30% on three-pointers and more assist errors (19v12).

The race

Unlike two days ago against CSKA Moscow, Anadolu Efes did not show the same power in attack this time. The hosts went wide on target (3/10 two-pointers), giving Villeurbanne an opportunity to stay close and eventually take the lead at the end of the first period thanks to a three-pointer from Matthew Strazel ( 15-16). The French controlled the rebounds and stayed ahead until the break thanks to Marcos Knight’s great play. The 31-year-old guard did everything on both sides of the court (16 points, 7 rebounds) and was the main contributor to the +4 (32-36) at halftime.

In the second part everything changed within four minutes. Shane Larkin took the lead, Timber Plays finished the stages close to the basket and somehow the Turkish team went from -3 (37-40 in 23′) to +8 (48-40 in 27′) in four minutes and put on the are the foundations for its eventual dominance.

Villeurbanne’s percentages were falling by the minute (3/14 three points in 30 minutes), the errors were increasing (14) and somehow control was completely lost. That’s what Anantolou Efes needed to dominate. +2 (56-54 in 32′) became +14 (68-54 in 34′), a lead that did its job. Despite the French counter-attack in the last few minutes, the hosts stayed ahead until the final and celebrated a big win that put them back inside the top eight of the table.

THE REFEREES: Belosevic-Panther-Peradi.

THE TEN MINUTES: 15-16, 32-36, 54-50, 78-72.

ΑΝΑΝΤΟΛΟΥ ΕΦΕΣ (Ataman): Larkin 19 (3/7 two points, 4/7 three points, 1/2 shots, 8 assists, 4 steals, 4 errors), Bobua 10 (2/5 three points, 3 assists), Singleton 4 ( 4 rebounds), Bryant, Moerman 3 (1), plays 12 (6 rebounds), Mitsic 7 (1/2 two points, 1/6 three points, 2/2 shots, 5 assists), Dunston 9 (1), Simon 14 (2 three points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 errors).

VILLARBAN (Parker): Jones 13 (1 three points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 errors), County, Lacombe 6 (2), Knight 21 (8/11 two points, 1/3 three points, 2/3 shots, 12 rebounds), Risache, Gist 4, Fal 6 (4 rebounds), Osetkovski 7 (3 rebounds), Strazel 13 (2), Antetokunbo 2.

Group Stats – Anantolou Efes: 17/29 two points, 11/28 three points, 11/12 shots, 23 rebounds (20 defensive + 3 offensive), 20 assists, 11 steals, 13 errors, 1 block.

Group Stats – Villeurbanne: 24/45 two points, 6/20 three points, 6/7 shots, 36 rebounds (22 defensive + 14 offensive), 12 assists, 9 steals, 19 errors, 2 blocks.

The next commitments of the teams: Next week Anantolou Efes meets Olympiakos at SEF (2/10, 21:00) while Villeurbanne meets Panathinaikos OPAP at Astroballe (2/11, 21:00).