|
61 - 66 |
 Niksa
Prkacin | Efes Pilsen battled until
the final seconds to seize its sixth consecutive Group A
victory on Thursday, beating Adecco Estudiantes 61-66 on the
road in Madrid. Efes improved to 7-1 and shares the top spot
in the group with Climamio Bologna, while Estudiantes dropped
to 3-5 and is now in sixth place. Goran Nikolic led the
winners with 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting and 6 rebounds. He
scored all his points in the first half, including 13 in the
second period, helping Efes to get a 31-42 edge at halftime.
Erden Arslan added 12 points for Efes, while free throws by
Will Solomon and Niksa Prkacin sealed the win in the final 13
seconds. Sergio Rodriguez had 12 points for Estudiantes, while
Iker Iturbe added 10. Both teams excelled at defense, but Efes
allowed the hosts just 7 points in the final period, while
Estudiantes made just 13 of 26 free throws.
 Carlos
Jimenez | Estudiantes started the
game with a 3-2 zone defense, but Efes still got second-chance
points and looked for Ermal Kuqo in the middle. He followed a
put-back layup with a jump hook and an acrobatic
basket-plus-foul for a 3-7 Efes lead. The hosts didn't panic,
as Iturbe had 5 points in a 9-0 run capped by a Ruben Garces
dunk that put Estudiantes in charge at 12-7. Efes went
scoreless for more than 5 minutes until Nikolic fired in
back-to-back mid-range jumpers following a timeout.
Estudiantes used patience on offense to secure free throws by
Hernan Jasen and long three by Rodriguez to lead 20-15 after
10 minutes.
Prkacin scored an inside basket and fed
Nikolic for another before Henry Domercant's triple capped a
1-7 run to a 21-22 Efes lead to start the second quarter. The
guests had a different defensive attitude now, playing
physical and looking for steals. Estudiantes struggled to
score while 4 quick points by Nikolic extend the Efes margin
to 23-28. The fantastic defensive exhibition by Efes continued
while Nikolic kept shining offensively, accumulatin 9 points
in a 3-14 run that produced a double-digit margin at 26-36.
Nikola Loncar tried to wake the crowd up with a corner three,
but Ender Arslan's floating layup and Nikolic's long
two-pointer gave Efes a 31-42 edge at halftime. Nikolic had 13
points in the second quarter, while 7 Estudiantes players
combined 8 turnovers in this period.
 Will
Solomon | Carlos Jimenez scored a
layup and assisted Jasen's open three-pointer to spark
Estudiantes after the break. Domercant managed a layup for the
quiet Efes offense, but Estudiantes kept rolling as Iturbe
ignited a 7-0 run capped by Rafa Vidaurreta's power layup.
Estudiantes was within 43-44 as Efes called timeout, but could
not slow the hosts, who now got back-to-back layups from
Andres Miso for their first lead of the half, 47-46. A
physical defensive battle followed, with points coming hard
until Iturbe slashed to the basket and Miso added a running
layup for a 54-49 Estudiantes lead after 30 minutes.
Estudiantes tried to play with shorter possessions to
seal the outcome but it didn't work. Arslan drilled a corner
three for Efes and Solomon added a long two-pointer to bring
Efes within 56-54. Kaya Peker tied the game from the free
throw line, but a short jumper in penetration by Rodriguez
helped Estudiantes keep a slim margin, 58-56, with 6 minutes
to go. Solomon became the go-to guy for Efes with a six-meter
jumper, good for a new 58-59 lead. Defenses ruled now as Miso
scored off a timeout, but Solomon's free throw was the only
point for 2 minutes. A layup by Peker helped Efes enter the
final 2 minutes with a 60-62 edge, then Rodriguez made 1 of 2
free throws with 1:03 to go. After Prkacin and Jimenez
exchanged turnovers, Solomon drew a foul with 13 seconds to
do. He calmly made both attempts for a 61-64 Efes margin. When
Iturbe missed the game-tying three, it was enough for Efes to
count its seventh win.
Carlos Gil, Madrid
| |
| |