Anadolu Efes S.K. has won back-to-back games against two of the strongest teams in the EuroLeague, and things are finally starting to look good for Erdem Can's side.

EuroLeague teams, be aware: Anadolu Efes S.K. is back

As frustrating as things became, Anadolu Efes Istanbul was never as bad as its record suggested.

Injuries ravaged the team in the early part of the campaign, forcing the arrival of a few new signings; those that had arrived in the summer were still adjusting to their new environment; later, rumors began to swirl about the future of first-year head coach Erdem Can; and there was a seven-game losing run, which – it’s worth stressing – featured just one defeat by double digits.

In the end, Efes decided to stick with Coach Can and that decision is now reaping its rewards. After ending its losing streak in style by [stunning Virtus Segafredo Bologna 99-75](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-anadolu-efes-sk-vs-virtus-bologna/) in Round 21, the Istanbul-based side built on that result by [beating FC Barcelona 98-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-anadolu-efes-sk-vs-barca-basket/) in Round 22. Not only are those two scorelines similar, but they are equally impressive, too.

Dario Brizuela ensured that Nico Laprovittola wasn't missed by draining 24 points as Barça beat Zalgiris and kept pace in the upper-echelons of the standings. They visit two-time champs Efes, who look to continue its revival after roaring back into winning-ways in sensational style by thrashing Virtus.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul-FC Barcelona | Round 22 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### A big boost to morale

By first downing Virtus and then Barca, Efes has managed to knock off two of the top three teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings in a matter of six days. Crucially, what it has done is inspire the Efes players and show what they are capable of, as star guard [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) explained.

“It feels like we’re trending in the right direction, we’re getting our guys back, everybody’s getting healthy,” he said after the Barca win. “We’re getting everybody acclimated and we’re continuing to grow. I think today was one of the first days we had a full roster all season; I think maybe \[that was also the case in\] our first game. We showed who we can be, now it’s all about continuing to grow every single day and seeing what we can do towards the end of the season.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Same vibe! 🫂 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhereIStand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhereIStand</a> <a href="https://t.co/XMkvtxVXNS">pic.twitter.com/XMkvtxVXNS</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1748096177441038566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While Efes had played well through the first two quarters, taking a 42-39 lead into the halftime break, Coach Can’s troops notably began to take over in the second half and ended up outscoring Barca 56-35 in the final 20 minutes. That offensive explosion, led by 19 second-half points by [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/), was incredibly impressive, but so was the way in which Efes stepped up its play on defense.

### Making key plays on defense

Three plays particularly stood out in the second half. The first saw [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derek-willis/009664/) dive into the front row to try and keep the ball in play following a block by [Tibor Pleiss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tibor-pleiss/lhk/) on Jabari Parker midway through the third quarter. That effort by Willis resulted in one of the loudest cheers of the night inside Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, and it was a sign of things to come.

Later in the quarter, Larkin turned defense into offense. After blocking Rokas Jokubaitis, Efes’s No. 0 quickly ran up the floor and was picked out by Beaubois, before avoiding contact from Tomas Satoransky and scoring a layup off the glass. Understandably, that was the Magic Moment of the Game.

But, a close contender for that accolade was a play involving [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), who returned to action against Barca after having not played since Round 11 due to injury. With Efes up 83-67 three and a half minutes into the fourth quarter, Clyburn’s chasedown block to prevent Nikola Kalinic from scoring an easy layup showed just how seriously Efes was taking every play. And that is certainly a good omen moving forward.

Three Anadolu Efes Istanbul plays summed up its defensive attitude during its 98-74 win against FC Barcelona in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Efes's three defensive plays vs. Barcelona

“We’ve just got to continue to grow as a team and continue to take steps in the right direction by putting in energy and effort on both sides. That’s all that play was about,” Larkin replied when asked about his block on Jokubaitis.

“We had a lot of plays like that today. Derek dives for a loose ball and tries to save it and the whole crowd goes crazy. Those are the things that have to be our identity. Will had a chasedown block from half court coming from a foot injury, so we’ve just to continue to do those hustle plays and that’s going to galvanize our team; that’s going to bring us closer to us together as a unit. There’s no ceiling to where we can go.”

Indeed, Efes still finds itself languishing down in 15th place in the standings, five spots below the final play-in spot, but playing as it has done in the last two games, no one would bet against the two-time champion sneaking in. There’s still 12 games to go in the regular season and, as Coach Can himself made clear, “every single game – on the road, at home – is like a final for us.”

With basically its full roster now available and a group of players who are gelling more and more with each passing game, Efes is finally starting to make some noise this season. EuroLeague teams, be aware: Efes is back.

More Efes News

The Anadolu Efes Istanbul players celebrate with the fans after beating FC Barcelona in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Erdem Can’s squad has now beaten Virtus and Barcelona in back-to-back rounds.

EuroLeague teams, be aware: Efes is back

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2024-01-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Solid defense and Brankovic's energy helped Bayern end losing streak

FC Bayern Munich finally tasted victory in 2024 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague thanks to a really solid defensive performance and a career night from Danko Brankovic.

Bayern shut down ALBA Berlin’s three-point shooters to the tune of just 3-of-18 for 16.7% in grabbing a 65-82 win in the German derby to snap a four-game losing streak.

“I don’t think we played a great game but we were solid from the beginning and we got an important victory,” said Bayern coach Pablo Laso, whose team conceded a season-low in points in the game.

“Overall I think our defense was very solid during the whole game. We shut down their three-point attempts and we were able to defend that line very well. We were stopping their fast breaks and we played solid defense. That gave us the rhythm of the game. We controlled it. Offensively we were very smart, passing it and finding the open jumpers. Very good performance. I am very happy for the victory. We needed to be rewarded for the work that we are doing.”

Bayern allowed just 4 ALBA fastbreak points and shot the ball well from the outside, hitting 13-of-30 from long range for 43.3% - four players hitting multiple triples.

Bayern gained control of the game with the first 13 points of the second quarter. And one of the keys to the second stanza was Bayern’s 23-year-old center Brankovic.

Danko Brankovic came up big for Bayern in Berlin

The 2.17-meter Croatian big man dominated the second quarter with 12 points and 6 of Bayern’s 9 offensive rebounds in the frame. That production came in just 7 minutes of action in the quarter.

“I don’t know what happened. My role is to just be a young energy guy to get rebounds and set screens. When things open up I just take them. That’s how it was tonight. It just opened up for me,” said Brankovic, who set career highs with 14 points and 9 rebounds. He added 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks for a new career-best index rating of 20.

“It’s a huge win because we are back on the winning streak, especially fighting for the playoffs. It was a good game for us. We played together and when we play like this, things just go good. And it’s really nice to watch us,” Brankovic added.

Bayern can now be happy about finally winning in 2024 with a strong all-around showing.

Game News

Pablo Laso's side came out on top in the German derby.

ALBA Berlin v FC Bayern Munich (2024-01-18T19:00:00.000Z)

The Olympiacos Piraeus center became the fourth player in competition history to tally 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. 

Nikola Milutinov stepped up with historic game in Fall’s absence

Nikola Milutinov produced an outstanding performance on Thursday night to lead Olympiacos Piraeus to an 89-72 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. A couple of days before the game, Olympiacos announced that Moustapha Fall would be out injured for three weeks. This is an important injury blow for the Greek side taking into account that Fall ranks top in two-point accuracy this season at 78.3% and leads all centers with 2.7 assists per game.

Hence, Milutinov got the nod from head coach George Bartzokas, who included the Serbian center in the starting lineup against Maccabi. Morale at Piraeus was anything but high after back-to-back defeats to FC Barcelona and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain last week.

“It’s difficult when you miss a player like \[Fall\], because he is one of the key players here,” Milutinov said after the game. “I had to play a little bit more tonight than what I was playing lately and I’m just happy that I helped my team in the best possible way and that we won tonight the way we won.”

Monster night for Nikola Milutinov

The Greek side hit the ground running in the first quarter and outscored a Lorenzo Brown-less Maccabi 26-18. Milutinov shined at both ends of the floor, ending the first half on a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Maccabi bounced back in the second quarter and cut the difference to 42-36 at halftime. However, a dominant Olympiacos went on a 12-0 run after the break and managed to secure what has probably been its most convincing victory so far this season.

Milutinov ended the game with a season-high 20 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive boards, for a PIR of 40. These figures mean that he entered a select group of four players who have recorded a 20+20 game in the EuroLeague.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">20 PTS + 20 REB games in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a>:<br><br>2001-02 🇹🇷 Mirsad Turkcan: 27 PTS + 23 REB<br>2005-06 🇺🇸🇦🇿 Spencer Nelson: 23 PTS + 20 REB<br>2006-07 🇬🇷 Antonis Fotsis: 22 PTS + 24 REB<br>2023-24 🇷🇸 Nikola Milutinov: 20 PTS + 20 REB 👈</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1748090974004302259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“We had to cover Fall’s absence, as everybody knows how important he is,” Bartzokas said after the game. “So I have to give special credit to Nikola Milutinov who had 20+20. These are huge numbers nowadays in basketball.”

Olympiacos played at a sold-out Peace And Friendship Stadium for yet another time this season, with Milutinov being hailed by fans, who rhythmically chanted his name in the last quarter.

“This is why I came back,” Milutinov laughed when asked how he felt when fans chanted his name. “It’s an amazing feeling. I want to thank the fans. It’s something really unique and this is one of the reasons why I came back to Olympiacos.”

With this home victory, Olympiacos got back to winning ways and improved to a 12-10 record. Fall is expected to be sidelined until early February, which makes Milutinov a key player for Olympiacos in the next few games. Judging from Thursday’s performance in Piraeus, the Olympiacos big man is more than ready to fill Fall’s shoes and prove why he’s considered one of the best centers in the EuroLeague.

The Olympiacos center became the fourth player in competition history to tally 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-01-18T19:15:00.000Z)

Banchi hails Virtus’s 'special night'

A home meeting for the third-placed team against the bottom-placed team should have been a matter of routine, but in the end, Virtus Segafredo Bologna needed a remarkable recovery to overcome LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne by a misleading 73-63 on Thursday night.

With just over 8 minutes remaining ASVEL led 48-56 and a big upset looked on the cards, with Virtus’s misfiring offense only scoring 29 points in the previous 22 minutes of game time.

But then Achille Polonara flew high for a putback slam and that boost of energy sparked a remarkable 14-0 run in just 4 minutes. ASVEL still tried to respond but Virtus had changed the momentum of the game and added further triples from Marco Belinelli and Daniel Hackett to surge clear for the win.

Polonara sparked Virtus in the fourth quarter

Delighted home team coach Luca Banchi was in no mood for understatement as he reviewed the breathless final quarter, which saw his team score 28 points, beaming: "This is a special night. We showed the values to believe until the end, to stay together until the end. 

“There are nights like this when we have to find solutions, and \[the players\] were incredible in the way they continued to fight and compete.”

Veteran guard Daniel Hackett played a key role by netting 10 of his 19 points in the final period, and he was also overjoyed with his team’s reaction as he said: “We found something inside of us in the fourth quarter. 

“We didn’t want to let the fans down and let each other down, and I think we showed a lot of character to come back and win this game. 

“We went back and found our defense. In the second quarter, we didn’t impose our defense, but in the fourth quarter, we played our defense. This gave us our rhythm and we made some key plays.”

Enough key plays, indeed, to turn what could have been Virtus’s worst night of the season into a triumphant occasion.

The Virtus tactician oversaw a turnaround from 11 points down to beat ASVEL by 10.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-01-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Dusko Ivanovic and his Saski Baskonia side managed to down KK Crvena zvezda, the team which dismissed the coach earlier this season, for the second time since the Montenegrin returned to the Spanish outfit.

Baskonia turned the tables on KK Crvena zvezda as Ivanovic completed the double

It was a stellar night for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz guard [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/), forward [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) and head coach Dusko Ivanovic in Round 22, as the Spanish club ground out [a captivating 90-91 road win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-crvena-zvezda-vs-saski-baskonia/) in Round 22 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Howard poured a game-high 32 points, shooting 7-of-10 from downtown and 3-of-5 from two-point territory, engineering a spectacular Baskonia comeback after a 52-43 halftime deficit. Moneke chipped in with 13 points and 12 rebounds, including a crucial offensive board late in the game which paved the way for Baskonia’s victory.

Baskonia coach Dusko Ivanovic prepares for a swift return to Belgrade to face his former employers and help strengthen his team's push for the playoffs, whilst Zvezda wish to unleash the talents of in-form big man Joel Bolomboy, since he paired 14 points with 6 rebounds in an important gain in Milan.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Round 22 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Moneke’s late arrival

In his flash post-game interview, Moneke revealed an astonishing pre-game development which almost forced him to miss the titanic clash in Belgrade’s Stark Arena due to a passport issue.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even supposed to be here,” Moneke said. “I was stuck in the airport for seven hours yesterday and I only got to my hotel at 1 am. I didn’t think I would play this game.” The athletic forward went on to heap praise on Howard while he also stressed his own contribution in the contest’s dramatic finish.

“Markus carried us offensively and I was tired at the end, so I couldn’t be aggressive. However, great players make plays when they’re not scoring and that’s what I pride myself in.”

### Howard was crucial

Howard spent much of the first half on the bench after picking up 2 fouls but came roaring back in the third quarter, when he scored 17 points to flip the script and put Baskonia in the driving seat. Humble as ever, Howard lauded his teammates for a heroic effort after Zvezda dominated the opening two quarters.

“This is definitely the toughest place we’ve had to play at. We’ve got to give their fans and the organization great credit, there’s nothing but emotion here,” the 24-year-old commented.

“A lot of emotion throughout the game. We got better as a team during the game, we knew it was going to be tough. Defensively we picked up in the second half. I’ve got to give a shout to Chima for that rebound at the end of the game, that was a big play.

“So many guys made big plays in the second half. Whatever the game calls for, I try to execute to the best of my ability. My teammates give me supreme confidence, so I am just blessed, grateful and fortunate to be here.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">¡Qué PAREJA!<a href="https://twitter.com/markushoward11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@markushoward11</a> 🤜🏽🤛🏽 <a href="https://twitter.com/Chimdogg_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chimdogg_</a> <br><br>4️⃣5️⃣ PT ➕ 5️⃣2️⃣ PIR<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/WZDW7I2Rda">pic.twitter.com/WZDW7I2Rda</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1748085828864135575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Ivanovic’s return to Stark Arena

It was also a very special night for Ivanovic, who will fly back to Vitoria-Gasteiz a happy man after completing the double over his former club. Baskonia edged out Zvezda 87-85 in the reverse fixture last month, shortly after Zvezda sacked Ivanovic following a 1-3 start to the season. The home fans gave Ivanovic a rising ovation prior to the game in Belgrade and the coach was deeply moved by their appreciation for his time at the helm of the Serbian club.

“First of all, I want to thank the crowd. That was a really nice gesture,” he said. “It’s been an emotional night for me. We had no intensity and didn’t play defense in the first half, Red Star scored too many easy points. We improved in the second half, played better defense and we had an inspired Markus Howard on offense.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Honor for Dusko 🇷🇸❤️<br><br>El recibimiento de más de 20.000 personas a Dusko Ivanovic 🙌🏽<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/GAX4GtG3r8">pic.twitter.com/GAX4GtG3r8</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1748041332495680003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ivanovic surrendered the regional Adriatic league title to traditional city rival Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in his first season at Zvezda, while the club tailed off late in the last EuroLeague campaign. Asked whether he was disappointed by Zvezda’s decision to part ways with him just four games into the current season, the 66-year-old tactician said it seemed that both parties had benefited from the split.

“Like I said when I came to Zvezda, a year in charge is not enough time to rebuild a team,” he explained. “But such is a coach’s job; we live by our results and when you don’t have them, the heat is on. I am happy for Zvezda that they’re playing well, but I am also very happy at Baskonia and it seems things have panned out the right way for both sides.”

Greek Ioannis Sfairopoulos, who replaced Ivanovic at the helm, acknowledged that Zvezda always faced a tall order to force the final twist after Baskonia had turned an 11-point deficit into an 11-point lead, although his team came close.

“We lost the game because of our defense, they scored 91 points and took a lot of offensive rebounds,” Sfairopoulos pointed out. “It was very hard for us to come back after they turned it around. We fought until the end but unfortunately we didn’t control the boards well tonight and their 15 offensive rebounds gave them a lot of second-chance points.

“Win or lose, we have to move on because the next game is always the most important.”

More Baskonia News

Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is defended by Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The visitors came storming back in the second half to give their head coach a second win over his former club.

Baskonia turned the tables on Crvena Zvezda as Ivanovic completed the double

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-01-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna rallied late to upend LDLC ASVEL 73-63 in Round 22 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Virtus dominates late to beat ASVEL 73-63

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

The hosts used a 17-1 fourth-quarter run to take control after trailing by 11 late in the third quarter.

Nikola MIlutinov dominated as Olympiacos B.C. routed Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. 89-72 in Round 22 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos, Milutinov overpower Maccabi 89-72

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Nikola Milutinov leads the way for Olympiacos Piraeus with the fourth 20-point, 20-rebound game in EuroLeague history. 

Nikola Milutinov leads the way with the fourth 20-point, 20-rebound game in EuroLeague history. 

FC Bayern Basketball claimed a 65-82 win over ALBA Berlin in the German derby in Round 22 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Brankovic breaks out as Bayern wins the German derby, 65-82

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EuroLeague Live Blog: ALBA Berlin vs. FC Bayern Munich.

The Bayern big man erupts for 14 points and 9 boards to lead the winners. 

Rodrigue Beaubois had 21 points in just over 18 minutes as Anadolu Efes S.K. beat Barça Basket 98-74 in Round 22 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Rodrigue Beaubois took Anadolu Efes to another level against Barça Basket

Rodrigue Beaubois has been there and done it all in an Anadolu Efes Istanbul jersey. Now in his sixth season with the Turkish club, the 35-year-old guard reminded everybody of his quality with a stellar second-half display as [Efes beat FC Barcelona 98-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-anadolu-efes-sk-vs-barca-basket/) in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Things were certainly going well for Efes in the first half as it went into the halftime break with a 42-39 lead, but Beaubois’s contribution had been minimal to say the least: 2 points and 1 assist in 6:12 minutes on the floor. Barca was certainly still in the game, yet the Frenchman would ensure that wouldn’t be the case for long.

Rodrigue Beaubois had 21 points in just over 18 minutes as Anadolu Efes Istanbul beat FC Barcelona 98-74 in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Beaubois's best scoring plays vs. Barcelona

### Leading the second-half charge

An offensive clinic was on display at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in the third quarter as Efes and Barca combined for 51 points, with the hosts edging the battle 30-21. That meant it led 72-60 entering the fourth quarter.

In that third period, Beaubois was particularly effective in his time on the floor, adding a further 8 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 1 steal in just 5:28 minutes. However, it was in the fourth where Beaubois really took over and effectively put the game to bed.

Having been on the floor for 6:26 minutes in the fourth quarter, Beaubois netted 11 points, grabbed 2 more rebounds and dished 1 further assist. Notably, it was the veteran who helped swell the lead at the start of the quarter, hitting a three-pointer and converting a three-point play with the first two scores of the fourth to put Efes 78-60 ahead. From there on out, it was Efes’s to lose.

Well, even when it became clear late on that Efes was going to notch its ninth win of the season and record back-to-back victories, Beaubois didn’t show any sign of slowing down. Many of the Barca players had already waved the white flag, but he moved to 21 points with 1:38 to go after a perfectly timed cut resulted in an easy layup.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📢 <a href="https://twitter.com/Migros_Turkiye?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Migros_Turkiye</a> ile FC Barcelona karşılaşmamızın <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MVP</a>’si Rodrigue Beaubois!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeauboisSize%C4%B0yiGelecek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeauboisSizeİyiGelecek</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/ByvxT7RJTg">pic.twitter.com/ByvxT7RJTg</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1748063010181063159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Tying his season high

Those 21 points are a joint season high for Beaubois, who recorded the same tally in an 82-89 win at AS Monaco back in Round 8. That day, however, he played 30:51 minutes. On Thursday night, just 18:06. It was efficiency at its finest.

Beaubois’s stats come the final buzzer read: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and a 29 PIR. He may be up there in age, but the guard’s influence on a resurgent Efes side was there for all to see in Round 22 against Barca.

Efes has now beaten two of the top three teams in the standings in back-to-back rounds, having also surprised Virtus Segafredo Bologna 99-75 last Friday night, and the picture suddenly looks very different. Those seven consecutive defeats already feel like a long time ago.

Rodrigue Beaubois of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is defended by Dario Brizuela of FC Barcelona in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

After the break, the Frenchman contributed 19 of his team’s 56 second-half points.