By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Hapoel Tel Aviv means business!
After taking down Barcelona, Dimitris Itoudis’ side beat Anadolu Efes in Moraca 87–81, completing a perfect start to their first EuroLeague campaign and finishing the opening double week on a high note.
Antonio Blakeney led the scoring for the winners, putting up 17 points, including 10 from the free-throw line.
Playing against their former team, Elijah Bryant and Dan Oturu also made a big impact for Hapoel, with Elijah Bryant scoring 15 points and Dan Oturu just shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Vasilije Micic added nine points, six assists, and five boards against the team with which he won two EuroLeague titles.
On the other side, Jordon Loyd led Anadolu Efes with 25 points, followed by Ercan Osmani with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Shane Larkin and Isiaha Cordinier contributed 13 points each.
Hapoel rallies after halftime to seize control
Efes controlled the first half in Moraca, taking a comfortable 46–35 lead, largely thanks to a dominant second quarter (24–14). However, Hapoel fought back immediately after the break, going on a 13–0 run to close the gap. The Tel Aviv team took the lead, gaining a 57–50 advantage midway through the third period, but Loyd answered to bring Efes within two points heading into the final 10 minutes.
Blakeney then took matters into his own hands, scoring seven consecutive points from the free throw line to give Hapoel a 78–67 lead, which proved enough for the win.
It’s also worth noting that Anadolu Efes head coach Igor Kokoskov was ejected in the final quarter, with Tomislav Mijatovic leading the team in final minutes of the game.