Euroleague, Virtus beats Efes and gives itself the challenge that is worth the Play Offs

Virtus Segafredo Bologna makes a splash by winning 64-67 in Istanbul against Anadolu Efes in the first phase of the Euroleague Play-In.

Thanks to the success at Sinan Erdem Spor Salonu Coach Banchi’s team will now face Baskonia on Friday 19 April in Vitoria-Gasteiz to play for the last place in the Play Off grid.

In case of victory on Basque soil, Vu would face the series against the number 1 seed, Real Madrid.

THE MATCH

The news (LBA Press Office Source) – Clyburn’s talent from the arc is immediately the point of reference for the home team but the winning cuts from Shengelia and Cordinier and a bomb from Belinelli keep the balance (9-7). However, the white and blue number 12 continues to score from far and near, scoring all of Efes’ first 17 points and Osmani scores the first Turkish breakthrough with a dunk (19-10).

After an incursion by Hackett, Osmani pushes the home team ahead even at +12 but the excellent entry on the parquet by Lundberg (author of five consecutive points) and a dunk and a bomb by Shengelia seal a great counterbreak of 0-10 which puts the Bianconeri back in close contact (23-21 after 10′). Both teams then struggled to attack with defense deployed and both Lundberg and Abass on one side and Bryant and Oturu on the other side of the field managed to move the net on the counterattack for 27-25.

Thanks to a triple from Abass, Segafredo also managed to overtake their opponents, the Larkin -Jones axis managed to keep the blue and whites afloat and the sniper Polonara then also entered the match offensively, scoring the 33-33. At the end of the half, Clyburn hits the sixth triple of his evening but a super circulation of the ball closed by the concrete Zizic sends the teams to the locker rooms at 36-35.

Polonara starts the second half in the best way from the arc for Virtus, Larkin then goes up with shots, scoring seven consecutive points for Efes but a fundamental bomb from Lundberg equalizes a very tight match again (43-43). After a couple of initiatives from Larkin and Clyburn on the approach, Abass makes Virtus celebrate again with a triple from the corner but Pleiss from the tip scores yet another overtaking of the match (50-46).

The third quarter then ends with yet another winning initiative in the match by Lundberg, who keeps Beaubois behind and puts the score at 50-48. After the combination between Belinelli and Shengelia which is worth the restart, Beaubois’ individual initiatives put the signature on 5 consecutive points for Efes but Shengelia from the line and with the assist for Pajola’s triple does not allow a super Segafredo to lose contact ( 55-55).

After a pair of free throws scored by Jones, Belinelli made his presence felt with a bomb from the corner and a hard foul committed by Bryant on Shengelia was converted by Abass into free throws to make it 57-60 with just over 5′ left.

Segafredo increases further with shots then in their own half of the pitch and capitalizes in attack with cuts from Belinelli and Abass which give the guest +7 with 3′ to play, before a technical whistle to the Virtus captain himself stops the long haemorrhage to a minimum of Ephes (58-64).

Entering the decisive phases of the match, there is a further fight for every ball, Larkin’s experience is worth -4 from the line and a mid-court infringement by Hackett is punished again by Larkin for 61-64 with 75″ on the clock. Following a mid-range error by Shengelia, a combined turnover between Clyburn and Larkin does not allow Efes to shoot for the overtaking and Lundberg, with the usual ice in his veins, scores the bomb from the tip to make it +6 at 11″ from the end.

A triple from Bryant tries to keep the Istanbul team alive but Anadolu commits a foul too late and Shengelia, deliberately missing the second free throw, makes Virtus celebrate. It ends 64-67.

The Bianconeri will now face Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (who lost the first match of the play-in in Belgrade against Maccabi Tel Aviv) in the Basque Country on Friday 19 April to compete for access to the playoffs, which would be equivalent to the playoff series against Real Madrid.

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