Micic and Larkin erupted as Efes blew Baskonia away in the fourth quarter / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Aykut Akici / Contributor Credit Aykut Akici / Contributor

Anadolu Efes Istanbul (7-8) put an end to their two-game losing streak at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by taking down Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (5-10) 87-72 (13-21, 30-21, 23-20, 21-10).

Player of the Game EFF 31 Vasilije Micic Points 24 Accuracy 8-13 Rebounds 4 Assists 4

Vasilije Micic caught fire in the fourth, scoring five straight points to give Efes a double-digit lead (73-62). From that point, the hosts' lead continues to grow, reaching as many as 16 points. Efes ended up gifting their fans a 15-point victory.

The duo of Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic was spectacular tonight. Micic finished with 24 points (5/8 2PT, 3/5 3PT, 5/5 FT), 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 31 PIR.

Larkin added 16 points (2/4 2PT, 2/6 3PT, 6/7 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, and 25 PIR.

"The key moment was the beginning of the game," Micic said post-game. "Even though we didn’t play well offensively, we set the tone defensively. Every player was aggressive and remained aggressive the whole game. Offensively we can always find some way to score, but defensively we decide the games. I think that was the key today."

Baskonia started the game well, gaining a 16-8 lead after the second 3-pointer by Jayson Granger. They managed to maintain their advantage throughout the first quarter, going into the second with an eight-point lead.

Efes fought back, with Vasilije Micic's long-range jumper cutting their deficit to one (23-24). Adrien Moerman also converted from deep towards the end of the half, giving Efes a one-point cushion (38-37). They went into the break up by two (43-42).

Another three by Moerman pulled the hosts in front by eight (51-43). However, Baskonia responded with an 11-2 run, regaining a narrow advantage (54-53). But then, Shane Larkin scored six quick points, with Efes going into the last period with a three-point lead (65-62).

"Of course it was an important victory for us, especially after the loss to Barcelona," coach Ataman said after the game. "We didn't play well tonight on offense. We missed a lot of shots but after Micic took over we played with a bit more organization. He played great tonight, with only 1 turnover. That is very important for us."

Efes: Vasilije Micic 24, Tibor Pleiss 17 (5 REB), Shane Larkin 16 (7 REB), Adrien Moerman 15 (6 REB), Rodrigue Beaubois 7, Filip Petrusev 6.

Baskonia: Simone Fontecchio 17, Jayson Granger 17, Wade Baldwin 10, Lamar Peters 9, Tadas Sedekerskis 8 (8 REB), Steven Enoch 5 (9 REB), Rokas Giedraitis 5.

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