The victory was the Turkish club's third in its last four games
Efes picked up team play, stayed locked in to beat ALBA
Article
3 Mins read
Anadolu Efes Istanbul players met after their home loss to FC Barcelona for a talk that helped the Turkish side finish the two-round week with a split thanks to improved team play.
Five players scored in double figures as Efes defeated ALBA Berlin 70-86 to raise their record to 4-3 with three victories in the last four games.
“After our last game we had a talk as a team - just come together more and play as a team. Just stick to the game plan. And we were able to get the win,” said Jordan Nwora, who along with Dan Oturu led the way with 16 points each.
“We stayed locked in - in all four quarters. Everybody who came in contributed. This is a team win,” said Darius Thompson, who collected 9 points and 8 assists for a team-high performance index rating of 23.
Efes also had five players score at least 10 points in the loss to FC Barcelona on Tuesday but the team dished out only 16 assists. That number was 22 in the victory over ALBA.
“We are finding open shots. When you find open shots, it’s easier to knock them down. We have a lot of talent on this team. We just need to stay together and see where we can go,” Thompson said.
Game Videos
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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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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Bryant bullet-pass feed for Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
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ALBA Berlin-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Real Madrid-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Paris Basketball | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Spagnolo's 360 layup! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Willis throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
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Vincent Poirier: 'We made the right play at the right moment'
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Real Madrid-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Unbelievable block by Thompson! | Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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FC Bayern Munich–ALBA Berlin | RS Round 10 highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Poirier says no! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:33
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Trevion Williams's touchdown pass! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:22
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Poirier’s putback with interest! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:15
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Darius Thompson’s huge steal and slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:54
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Rodrigue Beaubois: 'We have so much talent'
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ALBA Berlin-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:08
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Trevion Williams: 'We showed who we are as a team'
- 00:15
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Oturu rejects Diop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Spagnolo dances with Mannion and scores! Motorola Magic Moment
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-AS Monaco | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Thompson finds Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
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Thompson throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:33
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Schneider throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Milos Magic! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Procida's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:58
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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
- 00:12
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Poirier rejects Olinde dunk attempt! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Procida denies Bryant! Motorola Magic Moment
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ALBA Berlin-Paris Basketball | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-FC Barcelona | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius-Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul | Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
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What a pass from Hermannsson! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
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Poirier's huge alley-oop slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
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Martin to Terry alley-oop! Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Poirier's alley-oop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:15
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Jogela's monster slam! Magic Moment
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:50
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Darius Thompson: 'It was a next-man-up mentality'
- 00:21
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Poirier blocks, Thompson dunks! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:44
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Shane Larkin: 'I try to take a little bit more responsibility'
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
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Poirier’s power! Motorola Magic Moment
ALBA’s defense came into the game ranked third in opposing teams’ two-point shooting percentage at just 48.8%. But Efes’s offense was number one in the league in two-point shooting at 64.9%. And Coach Tomislav Mijatovic’s men won that battle in the German capital.
“It was a very solid performance from start to finish. I’m happy we came out and showed mental toughness, physical toughness,” he said. “We found extra energy, extra spark and we played much much better than we did two days ago in Istanbul.”
Nwora is making his EuroLeague debut after spending the past four seasons in the NBA - including winning the NBA championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks. And the 26-year-old is still getting used to playing in Europe.
“We have new faces on this team, including myself. I’m still making the adjustment, transitioning to the EuroLeague. It’s a lot different than playing in the NBA. It’s great basketball. You just have to think a bit more. I’m learning new things every day,” said Nwora, who has scored in double figures in each of the last five games for Efes.
“I think our team has a lot of talent and the potential to do great things this year. It’s just about putting all the pieces together.”
And playing as a team - as Efes did against ALBA.