Istanbul is always a difficult place in European basketball, especially if the game is held on Türkiye’s national day. A major challenge for the incipient project led by Joan Peñarroya that Barça, in a tough week, also stopping in Athens on Thursday, overcame with victory (88-97) against Anadolu Efes thanks to some inspired Metu and Punter. Fourth victory in a row in the Euroleague that allows the Blaugrana to consolidate the lead.
Little remains of that dominant Anadolu Efes on the continent, champion in 2021 and 2022, even more so without the injured Shane Larkin, the Turks’ main striker. But Mijatovic’s team, who in February went from eternal assistant to captain of the ship, once again has a squad to fight with the best in Europe after missing out on the playoffs last season.
Metu offered a recital in a second quarter where he scored 10 points
The country’s anthem played on such a special day before the bustling Sinan Erdem Dome thundered with kickoff. A stand that the Blaugrana silenced at the beginning with three-pointers, one from Abrines and two from Parker to start and then another from Punter, who converted five points in a row. A Barça that started with a run of 4-14 did not know the error. The income, however, vanished immediately. The Ottomans, who did exhibit resources beyond shooting from 6.75, turned the score around with a basket from Bryant (19-17).
Jabari Parker tries to control the ball in the duel between Anadolu Efes and Barça.
Metu then appeared on the scene with another success from the perimeter at the end of the first quarter (26-29). It was just an appetizer of the recital that the Californian offered in a second quarter where he scored 10 points with only one failure in his six shots. Former Barcelona player Smits countered Barcelona’s momentum with fundamentals and skill in painting until Punter woke up again to close, with a triple at the buzzer, a first half that was a scoring festival (51-55).
Far from the locals reacting in the final push, the advantage reached its maximum, after a triple by Anderson (68-83)
It was time to apply defense after the break and Barça did their homework. The former Real Madrid player Poirier and Beaubois were the only ones who surpassed the intensity of a more patient Barça in the third quarter, calmly searching for the best shot, which opened a gap with the attacks of Parker, Punter and Metu (66-76). Far from the locals reacting in the final push, the advantage reached its maximum, after a triple by Anderson (68-83), and only Núñez’s management, with seven assists, was enough to seal a prestigious victory.
Technical sheet:
Anadolu Efes, 88 – Barça, 97
Anadolu Efes (26+25+15+22): Thompson (16), Bryant (12), Nwora (13), Osmani (5), Poirier (10) -starting five-, Smits (8), Oturu (10) , Beaubois (8), Johnson (3) and Ozdemiroglou (3).
Barça (29+26+21+21): Núñez (5), Punter (20), Abrines (8), Parker (13), Willy Hernangómez (7) -starting five-, Satoransky (3), Anderson (12) , Vesely (4), Brizuela (4), Metu (21) and Fall (-).
Referees: Saša Pukl (SLO), Uros Nikolic (SRB) and Steve Bittner (GER). No eliminated.
Incidents: Match of the sixth day of the first phase of the Euroleague played at the Basketball Development Center in Istanbul.
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