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Efes Pilsen shows staying power as it advances to Top 16
Efes, going into the last match of the regular season, was placed fifth with a 3-6 record, and therefore its fate in Group B was hanging by a thread. To compound matters Efes’ fate was not in its own hands. In other words, the İstanbul side not only had to beat the Frenchmen away from home on Wednesday, but Lithuania’s Lietuvos Rytas also had to lose to already qualified second-placed Spanish side Unicaja for the Turkish champion to make the last 16.
On paper, it seemed improbable; but nothing is impossible when Efes Pilsen is in the picture. First, Efes did what had to be done by giving hapless Entente Orleanaise a sound beating. And with Unicaja beating Rytas by one basket, 73-71 to be more accurate, in Lithuania, the doors of the Euroleague Top 16 were wide open for Efes.
The sharpshooters from Efes did exactly what was expected of them on Wednesday as the whites and blues led from the very beginning to the very end. Igor Rakocevic banged in 14 for Efes, Kaya Peker added 12 with a career-high 5 assists and Charles Smith 11 points and a career-high 7 assists.
Efes joined leader Olympiakos, Unicaja and Partizan in the elite 16 from Group B, while Rytas and Orleanaise were sent packing.
In the other Group B match, Olympiakos crushed Partizan 81-60. Elsewhere in the Euroleague it was: Asseco Prokom 75, BC Khimki 70; AJ Milano 66, Real Madrid 75; EWE Baskets 64, Panathinaikos 67.
EuroLeague Women
Nevriye Yılmaz scored 22 points to give Fenerbahçe a 98-78 victory over Hungary’s Szeviep Szeged in İstanbul on Wednesday in a EuroLeague Women match of the utmost importance for the two teams. The victory meant Fener stayed on course for second-place in Group D, while Szeviep missed out on a chance to strengthen its bid for fourth.
The Galatasaray women were beaten 69-64 by Russian powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg in İstanbul but nonetheless still consolidated their fourth place standing in EuroLeague Women Group A.
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