In day 29 home game of The Beko Basketball League, Anadolu Efes defeated Fenerbahçe 69-67. Anadolu Efes was on the losing side at halftime of the game at Sinan Erdem Arena by 40-34.

The starting five of Efes were Kerem Tunçeri, Sinan, Vujacic, Savanovic and Batista and Kerem Tunçeri scored the first points for Anadolu Efes. The opponent scored consecutively in the first minutes and Batista and Savanovic answered to them and Efes equalised the score in minute six at 13-13. In the last four minutes of the period Kerem Gönlüm scored one point in a free throw and Anadolu Efes ended the first quarter as the losing side by 19-14.

Anadolu Efes started the second quarter with a foul committed to Batista and then the three points he scored after the unsportsmanlike foul and in minute 11, Efes dropped the difference to one point: 18-19. Kerem Tunçeri scored four points consecutively, equalising the score in minute 13 at 22-22. Following the points added by the captain Tunçeri and Savanovic in minute 15 the score was equal at 27-27; and following the points scored by the opponent, Sinan scored his first points in minute 16: 29-33. Ermal joined the team in this minute, and took the score to 33-38 Savanovic scored one point in a free throw for Efes and Efes was on the losing side at halftime by 40-34.

In the second half, Batista scored the first points for Efes; following the points added by the opponent, and in minute 25 the score was 36-46 Zouros called a timeout. Following the timeout, Vujacic and Doguş took the score in the last two minutes of the period to 43-49 and the captain Tunçeri snatched the defensive rebound and scored, dropping the gap to four points: 45-49. Fenerbahçe called a timeout in this minute, and Efes increased the defensive challenge and following the two-pointer added by Vujacic, Efes was on the losing side at the end of the third quarter by 50-47.

Efes started the final period with five points – including a triple – scored by Lafayette and in minute 33, Efes dropped the gap to two points: 52-54. Following the points added by Batista in minute 35, the score was 56-59; in the last 3.40 minutes of the game Doguş added a triple and Efes took the score to 59-61. Batista snatched the defensive rebound and received a foul under the opponent’s board and scored one point in a free throw and dropped the difference to one point; Efes snatched another ball and Savanovic placed Efes in the leading position for the first time in the game: 62-61. Following Savanovic’s three pointer Anadolu Efes was leading in the last minute of the game by 65-63 and following the two points the successful player added in free throws in the last 30 seconds, Efes was leading by 67-66.

In day 28 away game of The Beko Basketball League Anadolu Efes faced Türk Telekom and ended regulation time in a tie, 81-81. Efes then lost the game in OT 95-87. Anadolu Efes was leading at halftime at Ankara Sport Hall by 40-34.

The starting five of Efes were Kerem Tunçeri, Lafayette, Vujacic, Kerem Gönlüm and Barac and Kerem Gönlüm scored the first points for Efes. Vujacic and Lafayette scored in mid-distance in the first minutes and Efes’ players Kerem Gönlüm and Barac added points under the board and Efes was leading in minute five by 12-6. In minute six the captain Tunçeri scored triple, taking the score to 15-8 and Cenk joined the team, and following the points scored by Doguş and Savanovic and Anadolu Efes finished the first period as the leading side by 20-14.

Efes started the second period with a layup of Cenk and following the triple scored by Lafayette and in minute 12, the gap was nine points : 25-16. Following Cenks triple, the opponent scored consecutively and in minute 15 they reduced the gap to one point and Zouros called a timeout: 28-27. Following the timeout, the opponent was leading by 29-28 ; Cenk scored a double triple and Efes was leading in the last 3.30 minutes by 34-29. In the remaining time, Batista, Lafayette and Vujacic scored points for Anadolu Efes and Efes ended the first period by 40-34.

Vujacic started the second half with a triple; score was 43-34. Kerem Gönlüm and Doguş took the score in minute 24 to 47-44 and the home side was leading in minute 25, the score 47-49. Doguş equalised the score and Savanovic put Efes in the leading position in minute 26.40 by : 51-49. In the remaining time Doguş scored one point and Anadolu Efes ended the third period by 58-57.

Efes started the the final period with Lafayette with two points in free throws and Kerem Tunçeri scored the triple in minute 31, equalising the score : 62-62. Batista scored three points in a two-pointer and a free throw and Savanovic and Cenk and in minute 35 Efes was leading 72-69. Barac and Batista scored under the board and in the last three minutes of the game Efes was leading by 77-72 and Savanovic took the gap to seven points: 79-72. In the last moments of the game Cenk answered to the points of the opponent and Anadolu Efes failed in the last attack and the game ended at a tie at 81-81 and OT started.

Savanovic scored the first points for Efes in OT; In Kerem Gönlüm’s layup, the score was in 42.30 the score was 84-88. In the remaining time, Anadolu Efes could not lead any more and lost the game by 95-87.

In day 26 away game of The Beko Basketball League, Anadolu Efes defeated Bandırma Kırmızı 77-71. Anadolu Efes was on the losing side at halftime at Kara Ali Acar Sport Hall by 41-33.

The starting five of Anadolu Efes were Kerem Tunçeri, Lafayette, Sinan, Savanovic and Barac, and Savanovic scored the first points for Anadolu Efes. The opponent was leading in minute three by 8-5 and Lafayette’s triple equalised the score in 3.30: 8-8. Following these points, Efes was leading after Barac’s layup and Batista and Doguş joined the game. In the last minutes of the quarter, Batista scored for Anadolu Efes and as the home side scored consecutively, the opponent ended the first period as the leading side by 20-16.

In the second quarter, Kerem Gönlüm scored the first points for Efes; after Doguş got the ball, and Barac scored in a slam dunk and in 12.30, the score was again equal at 20-20. In this minute Vujacic joined the game and scored a triple, taking the score in 15.20 to 23-26. Following the points Savanovic scored in free throws Anadolu Efes scored its 25th point and Barac scored under the rim and in the last minute of the first half the score was 31-34. In the remaining time, Kerem Tunçeri scored two points and Anadolu Efes ended the first half as the losing side by 41-33.

Efes started the second half with a two-pointer Lafayette added in a layup, and the score in minute 21 was 43-35. In minute 26 Lafayette added a triple; and the score was 38-43. Following Barac’s layup, Efes was on the losing side in minute 26 at the television timeout by 47-40; following the timeout, Vujacic scored a triple and Savanovic added points in free throws, in the last 2.30 minutes of the quarter, the score was 45-47. Vujacic equalised the score in minute 28, and Vujacic added a triple and Efes was leading in the last minute of the period by 50-49. In the remaining 60 seconds, following the two-pointer scored by the opponent, Anadolu Efes ended the third period as the losing side by 51-50.

Anadolu Efes started the final period with a mid-distance two pointer added by Vujacic, dropping the gap in minute 31 to one point: 52-53. In minute 32, when the score was 52-57, Zouros called a timeout; following the timeout, Kerem Tunçeri added a three-pointer for Efes and the score was 55-57. The opponent scored five points and Vujacic answered in a triple and in minute 33, Efes was on the losing side by 62-58. Following the points added by Savanovic and Kerem Gönlüm, Anadolu Efes was on the losing side in the last 2.30 minutes of the game by 67-66, following the triple added by Savanovic, Efes was leading in the last two minutes of the game by 69-67. Bandırma Kırmızı called a timeout in this minute and after the timeout, Savanovic added one more triple, Efes took the gap to five points in the last minute: 72-67. In the remaining time, Kerem Tunçeri scored in tactical free throws and Anadolu Efes won the game by 77-71.

Anadolu Efes beat out Antalya BSB last Saturday, 77-70. Efes is tied for first place with Galatasaray in the Turkish Beko Basketball league with 21 wins and 4 losses. Efes will play Bandirma this coming weekend.

The Following Game Report is Reprinted From: http://en.efesbasket.org

In day 25 home game of The Beko Basketball League, Anadolu Efes defeated Antalya Büyüksehir Belediye 77-70. Anadolu Efes was also leading at half time at Sinan Erdem Arena by 38-32.

Ermal, Kinsey and Vujacic could not play for Anadolu Efes because of injuries.

The starting five of Anadolu Efes were Kerem, Lafayette, Sinan, Savanovic and Barac and Barac scored the first points for Anadolu Efes. Following the points Lafayette scored in minute 3.30, Efes was leading for the first time by 8-7, and the points added by the American player in minute five, the score 13-7. Following the television timeout, Doguş joined the game; Barac started the game rapidly by adding four points, taking the difference to 10 points: 17-7. In the last minutes of the period, Batista and Kerem Gönlüm scored as soon as they joined the team; the captain Tunçeri sealed the score of the first period: 24-12.

Cenk scored the first points for Efes in the second quarter in a triple; the difference was 15 points: 27-12. Following Kerem Gönlüm’s elegant slam dunk and Sinan’s triple, Efes was leading in minute 15 by 32-21 and following the points added by Kerem Tunçeri and Savanovic, Efes was leading in the last two minutes of the first half by 36-27. Following the points the opponent scored in these minutes, and Savanovic answered to them, Anadolu Efes was leading at halftime by 38-32.

Lafayette scored the first points for Efes in the second half,  taking the score in 23.30 to 43-36. Following the slam dunks added by Batista and Savanovic in minute 25 the score was 47-39. Following the points Batista added in the last three minutes of the period, Efes was leading by 49-46 and following the triple added by Sinan, Efes took the difference to six points: 52-46. Batista scored two points in free throws after the foul committed against him in the zone of the opponent, taking the score in the last minute of the period to 54-49. In the remaining 60 seconds Batista and Lafayette scored three points and Anadolu Efes ended the third period as the leading side by 57-53.

Efes started the final period with a two-pointer Lafayette added and following the points added by Kerem Gönlüm and Sinan in minute 34 Efes took the gap to 12 points: 65-53. Following the two pointer scored by Savanovic, Efes was leading in the last four minutes of the game by 67-58 and Kerem Tunçeri answered in a triple to the points scored by the opponent and Efes was leading in the last minute of the game by 70-65. In the remaining time, Kerem Tunçeri and Lafayette scored consecutively and Anadolu Efes won the game by 77-70.

Sasha and Özge at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey.

The 2011-2012 season has been a remarkable year for Sasha Vujacic as he has been spending his first Turkish Airlines Euroleague season with Anadolu Efes. As usual, Sasha has helped to bring a lot of excitement to his new team and he has become a fan favorite. We had a chance to talk to one of his fans Özge Atabey, a student in Istanbul. She not only had a chance to meet Sasha after one of his games, but she also helped Sasha to celebrate his birthday.

Please tell us about where you are from.

I’m from Bandirma. It’s in the northern west part of Turkey. Bandırma is a little city that has a port. However it is a basketball city. There are 2 teams from Bandirma in the Turkish Basketball League. I studied at my primary and highschool there. After I graduated I came to Istanbul. I have been living in Istanbul for approximately 2 years.

Sasha has played for Anadolu Efes for almost an entire season now, what are your impressions of him as a basketball player?

He doesn’t avoid to take responsibility. He is trying to do the best on the court. It makes me confident that he is taking part in the team. He also donated his MVP prize to the earthquake victims. He was appreciated by so many people in Turkey. He shows his greatness with his all of his actions.

Özge Atabey from Bandirma, Turkey.

Anadolu Efes is one of the top teams heading for the Turkish League Championship and you enjoy watching the teams from your hometown in Bandirma, what do you predict for the Turkish League Championship this season?

The Turkish Basketball League is heading for the European Leagues, all matches are so competitive. I really want Bandirma’s teams to conclude the season with good ranking. However, I have one candidate for the championship: Anadolu Efes. There are so many qualified teams but I think if Efes plays like a team with the help of its great players, no teams can stop Efes.

It was Sasha’s birthday recently and you were able to meet him at that time. What did you do to help Sasha celebrate his birthday? Please tell us about it.

We know March 8th is Sasha’s birthday. We had to celebrate his birthday a few days before at the Galatasaray game. Because there wasn’t a game in Istanbul on this day. Hence we bought a little, symbolic cake for Sasha. We shouted to him when he finished his practice. He said “Tesekkurler” (Tesekkurler means thank you) in Turkish. We took photos together and he blew out the candle after he made a wish and went to the locker room. Moreover he appreciated us from his Facebook page. I understood again he is very polite. I hope we will be able to celebrate his birthdays in coming years also.

Özge was so thoughtful to bring a cake to the game for Sasha's birthday.

Sasha is still relatively new to Istanbul and he has been enjoying the city, what kinds of things would you recommend for him to do on his free time in Istanbul?

Istanbul is a great city with its historical places, scenic beauty, nature etc… As far as I can see with Sasha’s photos on Facebook he visited the Blue Mosque, Ayasoyfa and the Topkapi Palace. Apart from these I would recommend him to visit the Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahce Palace and Galata tower. Besides that he should try Turkish foods. We have very delicious food like kebap, baklava, borek etc… If he wants to spend his time freely there are plenty of restaurants, cafes which have a superb view.

Is basketball popular with your classmates at your school? Do you play basketball or any other sports?

Yes, basketball is popular but, less than football. Unfortunately, I can’t play basketball. I play volleyball unprofessionally and I am learning to play tennis.

If you could talk to Sasha again, what would you want to say to him?

I would thank him for his performance and nice behavior up to this time. I wonder if he is going to stay us. Finally I would want to say “Stay with us Sasha”

In day 23 home game of the Beko Basketball League, Anadolu Efes defeated Tofas 70-58. Tofas was leading at halftime at Sinan Erdem Arena by 44-37.

The starting five of Kerem Tunçeri, Vujacic, Sinan, Savanovic and Barac, and Savanovic and Kerem Tuçeri scored the first points for Efes in triples. In minute three the score was equal at 6-6 and Savanovic scored one more triple and Efes was leading for the first time in the game by lacivert: 9-6. Savanovic and Barac scored under the board and Efes was leading in minute five by 13-6. In the last 2.20 minutes of the quarter the score was equal at 13-13 and Batista scored a two-pointer and Anadolu Efes ended the first period on the losing side by 16-15.

Vujacic scored our first points in the second quarter in a triple and equalising the score at 18-18. Savanovic and Kinsey added triples and in minute 16 the score was 24-25 and the opponent scored points consecutively, taking the score to 24-31 and the coach Zouros called a timeout. Following the timeout, the captain Tunçeri added a triple and then Vujacic scored in a layup, and Efes was leading in minute 16.30 by 29-34. The opponent committed a foul on Vujacic as he was shooting a triple and he scored three points in free throws and Efes dropped the difference in the last three minutes of the first half to four points: 32-36. In the last minute of the first half of the game Batista and Kerem Tunçeri scored points for Anadolu Efes and Efes ended the first half as the losing side by 44-37.

Vujacic opened the second half for Efes; Barac scored under the rim in 21.30 and the score was 41-44. Following Dogus’s layup, Efes was on the losing side in the last 4.30 minutes of the period by 50-43. Barış, the player of the opponent, committed a technical foul and Kerem Tunçeri scored two points in free throws, dropping the difference in minute 27 to five points: 45-50. Kerem Gönlüm snatched the defensive rebound and scored a two-pointer, dropping the difference in the last two minutes of the period to three points: 47-50. Vujacic scored five points consecutively for Efes and Efes was leading after a long period of time: 52-50. In the last second of the period Kinsey scored two points in free throws, and Efes ended the third period in the leading position by 54-52.

Efes started the final period with a triple added by Kerem Tunçeri, taking the score in minute 32 to 57-52. Following the two-pointer of the opponent, the captain Tunçeri scored two triples and Efes was leading in minute 34 by a difference of nine points: 63-54. Following the timeout called by the opponent Kinsey scored another two-pointer for Efes and Efes took the score in minute 35 to 65-54. In the last minutes of the game, Savanovic scored for Efes and Anadolu Efes won the game by 70-58.

In a repeated game between Aliaga and Anadolu Efes because of a breach of rule in day 17 game of The Beko Basketball League between Efes and Aliaga,  Anadolu Efes defeated Aliaga by 79-68. Anadolu Efes was also leading at halftime at Izmir Enka Sport Hall by 42-32.

As Ilias Zouras was not with the team in the game on February 4, 2012, Anadolu Efes played the game against Aliaga under the coaching of the assistant coach Ekrem Memnun.

The starting five of Anadolu Efes were Kerem Tunçeri, Vujacic, Sinan, Savanovic and Barac and Anadolu Efes started the game rapidly and was leading 8-0 in minute three following two points scored by Vujacic, and six points by Savanovic and the home side called a timeout. Following the timeout, when the home team was leading in minute five by 11-8, this time Ekrem Memnun called a timeout. Following the timeout, Savanovic’s triple equalised the score: 11-11. Barac placed Efes in the lead once again in minute six, and following the technical foul the bench of the opponent committed, Vujacic scored two points in free throws and a two-pointer in a layup, Efes was leading in the last 2.30 minutes of the period by 17-11. In the remaining time, Kinsey and Batista joined the team and added points for Efes with Anadolu Efes ending the first period as the leading side by 21-17.

Dogus scored our first points in the second quarter; following the points Kerem Gönlüm scored, Efes took the difference in minute 14 to 10 points: 27-17. Following Cenk’s triple, Kerem Gönlüm scored from mid-distance and Efes took the score in the last three minutes of the first half to 36-25. In the last two minutes of the first half, both Kerems continued to score for Anadolu Efes and Efes was leading at halftime by 42-32.

Kerem Tunçeri scored the first triple in the second half and Anadolu Efes was leading in minute 22 by 45-37. Barac scored the 47th of Efes and Efes was leading in minute 23 by 47-39. Following Sinan’s triple, Efes was leading in minute 25 before the television timeout by 50-43. Following the points Kerem Tunçeri added in the last minute of the quarter, Efes was leading by 54-46 and in the last 60 seconds, no point was added and Efes ended the third period as the leading side by 54-50.

Efes started the final period with Sinan’s mid-distance points, and Efes took the difference to six points: 56-50. Following the points Kinsey added in minute 32, Efes was leading by 58-50 and following the defensive rebound Kerem Gönlüm snatched, Sinan nailed a triple, taking the difference to 11 points once again: 61-50. In these minutes, Efes increased its agressive defense and the opponent easily lost the ball possession with Sinan and Savanovic benefiting, and Efes was leading in the last six minutes of the game by 65-50. Following the timeout called by the opponent, the opponent scored the first point in the fourth quarter in minute 35 and Anadolu Efes’ captain Tunçeri took the score to 67-53. Kinsey answered in a triple to the opponent’s triple; the score was 70-56. In the last minutes of the game Kerem Gönlüm and Kinsey continued to score and Anadolu Efes won the game by 79-68.

In day 22 of The Beko Basketball League, Anadolu Efes defeated Pınar Karsıyaka in an away game by 71-59. Efes was also leading at halftime at Karsıyaka Sport Hall by 44-36.

The starting five of Anadolu Efes were Kerem Tunçeri, Vujacic, Sinan, Savanovic and Barac and Barac scored the first two pointer for Anadolu Efes. Efes started the game rapidly and Sinan, Kerem Tunçeri and Vujacic continued to score for Anadolu Efes and Efes sealed the board against the opponent and in minute three before the television timeout, Efes was leading by 11-0. Following the timeout, in 5.30 Sinan took the score to 13-3 and Barac, Savanovic and Dogus scored for Anadolu Efes and in minute eight Efes was leading by 19-10. In the last minute of the period the score was 15-19 and Zouros called a timeout. Following the timeout Kerem Gönlüm and Batista joined the game; in the last 60 seconds of the period Batista scored two points in free throws and sealed the score for Efes for the period: 21-15.

Vujacic scored the first points for Anadolu Efes; Kinsey added five points –including a triple – consecutively and in minute 13, Anadolu Efes took the difference to 10 points: 28-18. Following the two pointer Batista scored under the rim in minute 15 Anadolu Efes was leading by 30-23 and the opponent dropped the difference to two points; Savanovic added a triple, taking the score to 33-28. Following the points Kerem Tunçeri and Kinsey added Anadolu Efes took the gap to nine points again and Anadolu Efes was leading in the last two minutes of the first half by 40-31 and Karsıyaka coach called a timeout. In the remaining time, Barac and Keren Tunçeri added four points and Anadolu Efes ended the first part in the leading position by 44-36.

Anadolu Efes scored two triples consecutively in the second half, taking the score in minute 22 to 50-41. Kinsey and Savanovic took the difference to 13 points and Anadolu Efes was leading before the television timeout by 54-41. Savanovic added the 56th point for Anadolu Efes and Batista scored in a slam dunk in minute 26, the score was 58-48. In the last minutes of the quarter, both teams had difficulty in scoring; Kinsey scored two points for Anadolu Efes and Efes was leading at the end of the third period by 60-48.

In the first minute of the final period the score was 60-53 Zouros called a timeout. Following the timeout, in minute 33 the score was 60-56 and Kinsey added a two pointer in mid-distance and the score was 62-56. Batista snatched the defensive rebound and Vujacic scored and the opponent called a timeout: 64-56. Kerem Tunçeri scored took the score in the last 3.30 minutes of the game to 68-56 and Anadolu Efes maintained the leading position and won the game by 71-59.

Happy Birthday, Sasha!  The 2011-2012 basketball season has been extremely exciting and eventful. Throughout all of the changes and adjustments, you have still managed to stay at the top of your game as well as promote the importance in showing compassion for others. Thanks for always giving it your all in the game of basketball and best of luck with the rest of the season with Anadolu Efes! We hope you will enjoy your birthday with good friends and family!

]]> http://www.sashavujacic18.com/2012/03/07/happy-birthday-sasha-3/feed/ 8 http://www.sashavujacic18.com/2012/03/02/cska-moscow-defeats-anadolu-efes-82-65/ http://www.sashavujacic18.com/2012/03/02/cska-moscow-defeats-anadolu-efes-82-65/#comments Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:37:44 +0000 Shelly Niimi http://www.sashavujacic18.com/?p=5121

Sasha Vujacic drives towards CSKA Moscow's Andrei Kirilenko.

Article is from: http://www.euroleague.net  Photo is from: http://en.efesbasket.org/

CSKA Moscow rounded the 2011-12 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 in style by downing Anadolu Efes 65-82 in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday. CSKA won Top 16 Group E with a 5-1 record and will have the home court advantage in the upcoming playoffs. Anadolu Efes was mathematically out before the game and was fourth in Group E at 1-5. Therefore, it was also the last Euroleague game to be played at Sinan Erdem Arena before the 2012 Final Four. Andrei Kirilenko led the winners with 15 points. Jamont Gordon added 14, Nenad Krstic had 13 while Alexey Shved got 11 for CSKA. Sasha Vujacic led Efes with 17 points. Dusko Savanovic added 16 while Esteban Batista had 10 for the hosts. A three-pointer by Gordon gave CSKA a 20-22 edge after 10 minutes. Darjus Lavrinovic led a 0-7 CSKA run that gave his team a double-digit lead, 33-44, near halftime. Shved and Andrey Vorontsevich took over after the break, allowing CSKA to keep a safe 54-64 margin after 30 minutes. Nothing changed from that moment, as CSKA boosted its margin to 55-71 and cruised to yet another well-deserved win.

Kirilenko got CSKA going with a three-pointer. Vujacic sank a jumper but Shved answered from downtown for a 2-6 CSKA lead. Efes managed to be more aggressive on defense early in the game. Meanwhile, Vujacic downed a turnaround jumper and Tarence Kinsey finished a two-chance offense with a corner triple that gave Efes its first lead, 7-6. Kirilenko split free throws and banked in a close shot to put the guests back ahead, 7-9. Oliver Lafayette shined with a driving layup but Kirilenko erased it with a fast break basket and free throws by Viktor Khryapa gave his team a 9-13 edge. Batista scored around the basket and a three-pointer by Vujacic provided another lead change, 14-13. Vujacic stayed on fire with a jumper in transition and Batista hit a jum hook but Nenad Krstic kept CSKA within 18-17. Krstic and Savanovic traded free throws and Gordon struck from downtown for a 20-22 CSKA lead after 10 minutes.

Sasha Vujacic – Anadolu EfesSavanovic made foul shots early in the second quarter that Milos Teodosic bettered with a wild catch-and-shoot three-pointers. Sasha Kaun took over with a put-back slam and Savanovic hit a jumper to get Efes within 24-27. Gordon buried a jumper but Cenk Akyol imroved that with a triple to bring Efes even closer, 27-29. Vorontsevich buried a shot and a jump hook by Krstic gave CSKA a five-point lead, 28-33. Batista split free throws but Lavrinovic swished his trademark three-pointer for a 29-36 CSKA margin. Lafayette tried to change things with an off-balance shot and Batista erased Lavrinovic’s put-back basket with a layup. Shved buried a jumper and fed Vorontsevich for an alleyoop slam, forcing Efes to call timeout at 33-42. A fast break layup by Lavrinovic soon made it a double-digit game, 33-44. Akyol hit an off-balance shot and a second-chance basket by Lafayette gave Efes some hope at 37-44. A wide open corner triple by Shved fixed the halftime score at 37-47.

Kirilenko struck from downtown immadiately after the break, as Efes tried to speed up the game tempo. Vujacic hit a fast break layup that Teodosic bettered with a three-pointer, good for a 39-53 CSKA lead. Batista banked in a close shot but he didn’t find much help around early in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Shved joined the three-point shootout to break tha game oen, 41-56. Batista scored down low and free throws by Vujacic got Efes a bit closer, 45-56. Efes was over the place in defense, diving for loose balls and getting the crowd involved. Shved fed Vorontsevich for a wild alleyoop slam that gave CSKA some fresh air at 45-56. Lafayette hit free throws but Shved found Sasha Kaun for yet another alleyoop dunk. Savanovic stepped up with back-to-back baskets but Gordon and Kaun kept CSKA way ahead, 51-64. A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Akyol got Efes within 54-64 after 30 minutes.

Vujacic made free throws early in the fourth quarter, as CSKA kept struggling to score. Defense allowed CSKA to keep dominating the game, however, and free throws by Kirilenko gave his team a 55-66 edge with 8 minutes left. Efes could not find the way to the basket for more than 2 minutes and a reverse layup by Gordon sealed the outcome, 55-68. CSKA tried Anton Ponkrashov at point guard to run the game clock down and started to run its offense through Krstic, who boosted the guests’ lead to 55-71. Vujacic buried a corner triple off a timeout but Gordon shocked the crowd with a slam and added a fast break layup for a 58-76 CSKA margin with over 3 minutes to go. Efes kept trying but everything was said and done already, as CSKA will keep fighting to win the competition in the upcoming Turkish Airlines Euroleague Playoffs.

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