Ergin Ataman: 'We are not in the mood to score 150 points' / News - Basketnews.com

"This is a league game, I don't think it's very challenging," Ataman pointed out after a crushing 96-77 victory over Merkezefendi.

Credit: Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Anadolu Efes Istanbul achieved a crushing 96-77 victory over Merkezefendi in the Turkish league on Monday night.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul / Schedule

Valencia Basket Anadolu Efes Istanbul81-71 FC Barcelona Anadolu Efes Istanbul75-80 Anadolu Efes Istanbul FC Bayern MunichFri17:30

After the domestic win, coach Ergin Ataman claimed his team could make even more fireworks on the offensive end but was not in such a mood.

"This is a league game, I don't think it's very challenging," Ataman pointed out. "When you look at it, we scored 96, we are not in the mood to score 150 points. Today we rested our two players, Will Clyburn and Vasilije Micic, who have played a lot of minutes recently. Today, we had a serious rotation during the game and received a big contribution from our young player Furkan Haltali."

The 20-year-old scored 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 19 minutes.

Shane Larkin was the best player on the court, posting 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and a game-high 28 PIR. He produced the magic moment of the game when closed the first half with an insane half-court shot while trying to draw a foul.

"Shane Larkin's performance is promising. He is getting better every day. He is very eager not only on the offensive end but on defense too," Ataman praised his agile guard post-game.

Anadolu Efes meet FC Bayern Munich at home on Friday. The Turkish team is tied for the eighth spot in the EuroLeague table with 10 wins and 9 losses, and shares fourth place in the local league with a 10-5 record.

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