His 7 straight points in the closing stages sealed the outcome against Maccabi
Difference-maker Rolands Smits stepped up when it mattered most
Articolo
3 Minuto di lettura
Regular Season
Round 1 of 38
Regular Season
Anadolu Efes IstanbulEFS
8578
Maccabi Rapyd Tel AvivMTA
Overview
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul had an extraordinary offseason, beefing up a roster that now looks complete with players complementing each other in all positions. On Tuesday evening, the Turkish side beat Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 85-78 in its EuroLeague opener, with five players recording double digits in scoring. The one who stepped up when it mattered most was Rolands Smits.
In an exciting tug-of-war clash, Efes led 75-67 with 6:28 remaining, but Maccabi went on a 0-9 surge to get back in front with 4:33 left on the clock.
Enter Efes’s game-changer, with Smits drilling a corner triple to put the hosts back ahead. Maccabi didn’t manage to respond and Smits hit again on the other end. Efes circulated the ball smoothly before Shane Larkin pulled off a sublime bounce-pass to connect with an incoming Smits for a slam that forced a Maccabi timeout.
This 5-0 run didn’t serve as a wake-up call for the visitors and Efes tightened up its defense, with Ercan Osmani getting the steal on one end before Larkin fed Smits again on the other, this time for a one-handed slam in transition to make it 82-76.
“I just took my opportunities,” a humble Smits told EuroLeague TV after the game. “My teammates found me and I just needed to score the ball.”
Smits ended the game on 16 points, having gone 5-for-7 from inside the arc and 2-for-3 from deep. He also recorded 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in just 15:50 on the floor. Most importantly, 12 of his points came in the last quarter, bagging almost half of his team’s scoring tally in the fourth (25).
Game Videos
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Legends Speak: Vasilije Micic
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Thompson with a steal and a dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Elijah Bryant with a big three! Motorola Magic Moment
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A monster dunk from Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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A fine dunk from Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment
- 02:40
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Masterpiece on the Mediterranean
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Shane Larkin: 'We just had to stay poised'
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Vincent Poirier: 'We finished until the end'
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Larkin taking the lead for good! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Oturu with a mighty dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:21
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Oturu with the alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
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Poirier with the put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Poirier with a fierce small-dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Oturu with a strong dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Poirier rips the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
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Poirier with a big dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Nwora with a massive dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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A sublime alley oop from Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
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A ferocious dunk from Thompson! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:39
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Thompson to Poirier alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/ef5799c3-50b4-4c70-b294-33bf62ebb034.jpg]()
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Shane Larkin breaking ankles! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:31
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Shane Larkin: 'To catch our rhythm at the right time is perfect'
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Jordan Nwora denies his opponent! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Bryant sets up Poirier for an alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:12
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Elijah Bryant: 'Maybe I'll have some ice cream to celebrate'
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
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Oturu with a incredible play! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:18
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Rokas Jokubaitis: 'We play for pride and are doing an amazing job'
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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:13
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Jimmy Clark we have take-off! Motorola Magic Moment
A special mention for one of Efes’s offseason signings, Jordan Loyd, who also grabbed 16 points, having netted 4 of his 8 three-point attempts, including a dagger to seal the outcome in crunch time.
Efes opened the first double-round week of the season with a victory and it will look to make it 2 out of 2 against Israeli teams by beating Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in their Round 2 duel on Friday. In a marathon like the EuroLeague depth matters and Smits demonstrated on Tuesday evening that Efes’s next-man-up mentality could take them far in the competition.