Here are some interesting notes about the game between Anadolu Efes Istanbul and AX Armani Exchange Milan.
Game Notes, Efes vs. Milan
· Milan and Efes have played each other at least twice in each of the last 13 seasons. Efes holds a 22-13 edge in games this century after a 77-65 win in Game 3 behind 20 points from Vasilije Micic, 17 from Tibor Pleiss and 16 from Shane Larkin.
· Milan rallied to win 73-66 in Game 2 with Shavon Shields scoring 21 points and Sergio Rodriguez 17.
· Efes's 48-64 win in Game 1 snapped Milan's four-game winning streak against Efes. The 48 points by Milan marked the fewest ever scored by a home team in the EuroLeague Playoffs. It was the lowest score by Milan in a playoff game and the fewest points that Efes has allowed in a playoff game.
· Milan's regular-season sweep this season includes a 75-71 win in Round 4 and a win in Istanbul in Round 32 when Milan rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat Efes 77-83 behind 12 points and 8 assists from Sergio Rodriguez.
· Milan also swept their 2020-21 regular-season games, edging Efes 69-72 in Istanbul and beating Efes 98-75 in the regular-season finale on its home floor.
· Milan set a club record in EuroLeague play this century with 8 blocks against Anadolu Efes Istanbul on November 21, 2019.
· Efes guard Krunoslav Simon played for Milan from 2015 through 2017. He helped it win the 2016 Italian League and a pair of Italian Cups.
· Milan center Kyle Hines and his Efes counterpart Tibor Pleiss were EuroLeague rookies together during the 2010-11 season with Brose Bamberg.
· Efes big man Chris Singleton was a teammate of Milan guard Malcolm Delaney at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar during the 2015-16 season. They reached the 2016 Final Four together.
· Efes big man Chris Singleton and Milan's Dinos Mitoglou were teammates at Panathinaikos Athens during the 2017-18 season.
· Shane Larkin led Efes to an 88-68 home victory against AX Armani Exchange Milan in Round 19 of the 2019-20 season with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, a block. His performance index rating of 30 earned him the second of unprecedented four consecutive MVP of the Round honors that season.
· Larkin had a career-high 9 rebounds in Round 4 loss against Milan earlier this season.
· Larkin posted his career-high in steals with 4 playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Milan in November 2016.
· Efes guard Vasilije Micic set a career high with 8 rebounds in last season's home loss against Milan.
· Pleiss had a career game playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Milan in March 2014. He posted 30 points and 13 rebounds for a PIR of 43 – all career highs.
· Efes forward Adrien Moerman scored a career-high 23 points on a career-best 10-of-12 two-point shooting in a road loss against Milan in November 2018.
· Milan big man Kyle Hines matched his career-high with 4 blocks playing for Olympiacos against Efes in April 2013.
· Milan forward Nicolo Melli grabbed as career-high 6 offensive rebounds against Efes in October 2013.
· Milan guard Sergio Rodriguez set his career-high in steals with 6 playing for Estudiantes Madrid against Efes in December 2004.
· Rodriguez made a career-best 6 three-pointers made without a miss playing for Real Madrid against Efes in December 2013.
· Efes guard Elijah Bryant set his career-high with 9 rebounds and matched his career-best with 3 steals playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Milan in November 2020.