Moerman sinks a game-winning trey to gift Efes first EuroLeague win in 2022 / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Aykut Akici/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Aykut Akici/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Anadolu Efes Istanbul (10-10) edged out Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (4-15) 82-81 (17-12, 22-30, 26-20, 17-19) and got the sweet revenge for the heavy loss in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 6 (69-95).

Player of the Game EFF 20 Bryant Dunston Points 14 Accuracy 6-9 Rebounds 4 Assists 0

The game went neck-on-neck for the whole 40 minutes. Ioannis Papapetrou scored a duo and PAO gained a three-point lead (76-73) with 4:50 to go. Teams got multiple defensive stops while Adrien Moerman terminated the silence (75-76) with 2:44 to play.

Dimitris Priftis received a technical foul for stepping on the floor and Vasilije Micic tied the game at 76. On the other end, Nemanja Nedovic converted both shots from the charity stripe (78-76). Micic answered his native with the same sequence (78-78).

Daryl Macon nailed a two-point jumper (80-78), while Bryant Dunston poured in a single shot from the line (79-80), as 53 seconds were left on the clock. Daryl Macon and Vasilije Micic exchanged with the shots off the mark. Okaro White was fouled but nailed only one free throw (81-79) with 14 seconds to go.

Adrien Moerman saved the day for Anadolu Efes, draining a game-winning trey just before the final buzzer and the Turkish powerhouse celebrated the hard-fought W.

Backcourt duos from both clubs were in the spotlight tonight. Vasilije Micic posted 20 points (8/12 2PT, 0/7 3PT, 4/4 FT), 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 17 PIR while Shane Larkin contributed with 11 points (1/2 2PT, 3/7 3PT), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 15 PIR.

"[For the final play] I expected some kind of trap and the pass to Tibor was really fragile. But thank God he's so tall and he passed a perfect extra pass to Moerman, and congrats to Adrien, he deserved this shot," commented the reigning MVP.

"We missed all open shots, but then, on the last one, Adrien made it and we won the game. This is basketball. We missed everything but we made the last one," Ergin Ataman said post-game.

For the losing side, Nemanja Nedovic accumulated 20 points (2/4 2PT, 4/8 3PT, 4/4 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, and 22 PIR. Daryl Macon aided him with 17 points (4/6 2PT, 3/4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 17 PIR.

"We played good, we were unlucky, just this. The game went to one possession and it was one shot," briefly spoke Dimitris Priftis after the heart-breaking defeat.

Panathinaikos big man Georgios Papagiannis missed the duel due to a strain.

Anadolu Efes: Vasilije Micic 20 (6 AST), Adrien Moerman 15 (5 REB, 19 PIR), Bryant Dunston 14 (4 REB, 4 STL, 20 PIR), Shane Larkin 11 (4 REB, 5 AST), Krunoslav Simon 10 (5 REB).

Panathinaikos: Nemanja Nedovic 20 (6 REB), Daryl Macon 17, Okaro White 15 (8 REB, 19 PIR).

Highlights

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