The Spanish side used three-pointers and defense to notch its fifth straight victory
Barcelona showed impressive versatility in its win over Efes
Article
3 Mins read
FC Barcelona was able to rely on its first-half three-pointers and second-half defense as it defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul 88-97, grabbing its fifth consecutive win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in the process.
Indeed, Barca was unstoppable from beyond the arc before the break, right from the word go. Juan Nunez was at the center of it all, dishing three assists in the opening two minutes. Alex Abrines opened fire from beyond the arc, then Jabari Parker hit two more. When Kevin Punter joined the three-point shootout, the guests already had a double-digit lead, 4-14.
Game Videos
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Jabari Parker: 'I think we wanted it more'
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Vesely slams it with fury! Motorola Magic Moment
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Parker’s one-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Anderson rejects Brown with force! Motorola Magic Moment
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Parker throws it down with fury! Motorola Magic Moment
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Nwora's huge slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Bryant beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
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Bryant bullet-pass feed for Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
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Parra with the huge block! Motorola Magic Moment
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Paris Basketball | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Willis throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
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Satoransky flies to the rim! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Satoransky throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:27
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Unbelievable block by Thompson! | Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Poirier says no! Motorola Magic Moment
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Poirier’s putback with interest! Motorola Magic Moment
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Darius Thompson’s huge steal and slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Alex Abrines: 'I was mad, I was mad at us'
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Metu's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
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Metu destroys the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
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Vesely’s dunk…and one! Motorola Magic Moment
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Jan Vesely | RS Round 8 MVP | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Joan Penarroya: 'It's important to win at home'
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Thompson finds Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment
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Thompson throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
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Darius Thompson: 'We've got a lot of talent on this team'
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ALBA Berlin-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Poirier rejects Olinde dunk attempt! Motorola Magic Moment
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Hernangomez dunks off a Punter pass! Motorola Magic Moment
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Nunez's magic assist! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-FC Barcelona | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Barca ended up hitting 7-of-10 three-pointers in the first quarter to get a 26-29 margin. Punter buried a huge three-pointer off the dribble to beat the halftime buzzer, good for a 51-55 Barca lead at the game.
With that triple, Punter allowed Barca to match a club record for most three-pointers made in the first or second half of a EuroLeague game, with 11.
The Azulgrana had only hit 11 three-pointers in a first half once before in the EuroLeague, doing so at home against Khimki Moscow Region on April 5, 2018. It also hit 11 shots from downtown three times in a second half, with one of those occasions coming this season against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.
Its defense, however, was far from perfect. Efes shot the ball well, hitting 15-of-22 two-pointers (68.2%) and 4-of-9 three-pointers (44.4%). Barca was also outrebounded 16-11 and only forced Efes to pick up 4 first-half turnovers. At halftime, Efes had a higher PIR (60) than Barca (57), but once coach Joan Penarroya made some adjustments, Barca took off right after the break.
"It was important to play better on offense. I think we played well on offense in the first half and the second half, but improved our defense in the second half; Efes only scored 15 points in the third quarter," Barca head coach Joan Penarroya told EuroLeague TV. "Until now, we played more or less well on offense but we needed our defensive situations, especially in one-on-one situations."
Barca limited Efes to just 37 points in the second half, with the hosts hitting 11-of-19 two-pointers (57.9%) and 3-of-12 three-pointers (25.0%). The visitors tied the battle of the boards after the break, 17-17. Above all, Efes picked up as many as 9 second-half turnovers, while Barca finished the game with 21 assists and 10 turnovers. On the other hand, Efes had fewer assists (16) and more turnovers (13), and won the PIR battle 33-51 in the second half.
Chimezie Metu led the winners with 21 points. Punter added 20 and was there every time his team needed him. Above all, we saw two different versions of the same team during the game, both of which were really effective.
Despite having room for improvement, Barca is currently on a five-game winning streak and is looking like the team to beat in the EuroLeague.