Βy Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos will have to play a final before making it to the Final Four.
The Turkish team got the 85-82 win over last season’s champions, and the ticket to Abu Dhabi will be decided on Game 5 at OAKA on Tuesday night.
Elijah Bryant scored 19 points, Rolands Smits added 15 points, and Ercan Osmani had 14.
For Panathinaikos, Cedi Osman scored 22 points, Juancho Hernangomez added 15, Kostas Sloukas had 14, and Kendrick Nunn was held to 12 points.
PJ Dozier, who was a game-time decision for Efes played for nine minutes, and Ergin Ataman left the court before the end of the game after opening dialogue with the home fans of the club he led to two EuroLeague titles.
Decided in the end
Anadolu Efes had a three-point lead at the end of the first period (21-18) with the two teams walking side by side.
Panathinaikos took a 33-32 lead with one minute left; however, Efes closed the first half on an 8-0 run for a 38-33 advantage.
Cedi Osman was the only scorer in double digits after the first 20 minutes of action with 13 points, but it was not enough.
Efes even got a 10-point lead (45-35), with Panathinaikos reacting with a 10-0 lead (45-45) completed with a three by Juancho Hernangomez.
Panathinaikos got the lead again (51-50), Efes got it back, and closed the third period up by one (60-59). The game turned into a dogfight, and with five minutes left, Elijah Bryant scored a three to give Efes a 69-66 lead.
Rolands Smits added two more points one minute later (71-66), and entering the last two minutes of play, Panathinaikos trailed by one (71-70) after two free throws by Kostas Sloukas.
Ercan Osmani and Juancho Hernangomez exchanged threes (74-73), and Bryant, with 38 seconds on the clock, scored from the three-point line (77-73).
Kendrick Nunn answered back (77-76), and with 17 seconds left, Smits scored a crucial shot (79-76), got fouled, but missed the free throw. PJ Dozier got the rebound, he was fouled unsportsmanlike by Osman, coach Ergin Ataman decided to leave the court, and the game was over.
Photo: Eurokinissi