EuroLeague: Anadolu Efes Pulls Away Late to Beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 85-78

30/09/202521:54

Rolands Smits (7-of-10 FG in 15 minutes) and Jordan Loyd (6-of-10 FG) led Efes with 16 points apiece

Anadolu Efes used a strong finish to secure an 85-78 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

With five minutes left on the clock, the score was tight at 75-74. Jaylen Hoard briefly put Maccabi ahead from the free-throw line, but Rolands Smits responded with a decisive 7-point burst that the Israeli side could not match.

Smits (7-of-10 FG in 15 minutes) and Jordan Loyd (6-of-10 FG) led Efes with 16 points apiece. Shane Larkin added 14 points and 5 assists, while Nick Weiler-Babb contributed 12 points on 3-of-4 from deep, along with 3 assists and 2 steals.

Maccabi struggled from the perimeter, shooting just 7-of-27 from three, and had a rough debut from Lonnie Walker IV (3 points, 3 steals, 1-of-6 FG). Solid efforts from Hoard (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Roman Sorkin (15 points on 5-of-7 shooting) weren’t enough to change the outcome.