Newcomers Cole Swider, Kai Jones had their best games yet for the winners
Efes edges Olympiacos in thriller
Informes de partidos
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 4 of 38
Regular Season
Olympiacos PiraeusOLY
7882
Anadolu Efes IstanbulEFS
Overview
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It is only mid-October and we’ve still got 34 regular season games remaining, but considering the levels of intensity and drama on display, you could be forgiven for thinking that Tuesday’s heavyweight matchup between Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul was in the middle of a playoff series.
This was a game of many mini-games, starting with a first period that soon became a showcase of long-range shooting. Tyler Dorsey, Alec Peters and Shane Larkin took the starring roles by netting multiple triples in a combined total of 11 first quarter converted three-pointers on just 15 attempts, with the period ending 25-28 in Efes’s favor thanks to a 2-16 run.
That ridiculous level of long-range accuracy could obviously not be maintained, but the tempo and the excitement didn’t drop as the game continued with a series of momentum swings. Even though Efes briefly led by double-digits in the second quarter, the Reds soon fought back and there were no less than 11 lead changes in the first half, which finally finished with a 51-48 Olympiacos lead.
Predictably, the interval gave coaches Georgios Bartzokas and Igor Kokoskov the opportunity to emphasize defensive duties, and the pace of scoring subsequently dramatically dropped.
With the outcome on the line heading into the fourth quarter, Efes mounted a 0-9 run and kept Olympiacos scoreless for more than five minutes to take the lead. But that was not the end of the back and forth, as the home team responded with a 6-0 run to turn around the scoreboard once again.
After all that, we entered the final 150 seconds with the teams tied up, 74-74. Donta Hall’s explosive dunk was bettered by Isaia Cordinier’s corner three, before Frank Nkilitina delivered lead change number 17 with a driving layup. However, then Cordinier coolly scored again, 78-79 with 30 seconds left, and Larkin’s free throws sealed the deal to give Efes a memorable victory.
Adding to all that drama there were also individual storylines, including Olympiacos legend Kostas Papanikolaou becoming only the fifth player to reach the milestone of 400 EuroLeague appearances.
Elsewhere, Efes summer signings Cole Swider and Kai Jones truly announced their respective arrivals in the league. Swider’s three-point shooting was particularly notable as the former Toronto Raptor netted 4 of his 7 three-point attempts, finishing with a game-high 20 points in just 15 minutes on the floor. Jones made his mark closer to the rim, beating the first and third quarter buzzers with fierce dunks on his way to 6 points, 7 rebounds and a blocked shot.
On the other side, recent Red recruit Tyson Ward showed just how much he can contribute to his new team by combining 13 points, a career-high 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
Superstars Sasha Vezenkov and Shane Larkin, meanwhile, both endured mixed evenings: 12 points but no three-pointers for the Reds’ star, who also missed a last-ditch attempt to force overtime; for Larkin, 16 points but nine missed two-pointers and 4 turnovers.
So many talking points, so many twists and turns, but ultimately only one winner. But a big thank you to both sets of players: Olympiacos, Efes… that was a lot of fun.
