Buoyed by an impressive win over Olympiacos on Tuesday, Efes (13-17) will look to maintain its top ten challenge be overcoming rock bottom ALBA (5-25).
Game Notes: Efes vs. ALBA
The German team has lost seven in a row but showed it can't be taken lightly by giving league leader Real Madrid a serious scare earlier this week, led by 16 points from deep threat Matt Thomas. This season's first meeting between Efes and ALBA was a high-scoring encounter, taken by Efes 89-97 on the back of 32 points from star guard Shane Larkin. Tuesday's victory against Olympiacos was the fourth consecutive win at home for the Turkish team, which will hope Will Clyburn can follow up his 14 points earlier this week by recording double digits in scoring for the sixth straight game.
- When Efes beat ALBA 89-97 in Round 13, Efes guard Shane Larkin and ALBA center Johannes Thiemann made history as the first two players with a PIR 40 or more in the same game. Larkin earned MVP of the Round honor, lead Efes with 32 points and a PIR of 41, while Thiemann posted career highs in PIR (40), points (31) and two-point shots made (10).
- Efes has never lost against ALBA on its home floor.
- Efes had won nine straight games against ALBA before their meeting in Berlin in March of last season, when ALBA pulled out a 95-93 win on Luke Sikma's put-back dunk.
- When Efes beat ALBA 87-77 in April 2022, Shane Larkin had 28 points, 8 assists and a career-high 4 steals for a PIR 36, earning MVP of Round 33 for that performance.
- ALBA set a club record with 33 free throws made in a 73-74 home loss against Efes in January 2002.
- ALBA's single-game record for assists is 11, which Martin Hermannsson tied against Anadolu Efes Istanbul on October 11, 2019.
- Thiemann and Efes guard Justus Hollatz won the gold medal together with the German national team at the 2023 World Cup.
- Thiemann and Efes center Tibor Pleiss were teammates on the German national team in the past.
- In this season's Round 13 loss to Efes, ALBA's Tim Schneider tied his career high with 7 rebounds.
- ALBA center Christ Koumadje posted career high of 6 blocks and 24 PIR in a road loss against Efes in October of 2022.
- Efes point guard Darius Thompson posted his career high in PIR with 38 playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against ALBA in March of last season.
- Efes guard Elijah Bryant posted his career-high index rating of 29 and made a career-best 5 of 6 three-pointers for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against ALBA in January 2020.
- ALBA center Kresimir Nikic posted his career high index rating of 16 against Efes in February 2020.
- Efes center Tibor Pleiss posted a career-high 3 steals against ALBA in February 2020.
- ALBA's Jonas Mattisseck posted a career-high 3 steals against Efes in April 2022.