The Istanbul classic between two teams that have often crossed paths in the EuroLeague era materialised within a complicated week for both. Efes was overwhelmed in Kaunas right from the two-ball, was down by more than 30 points and only reduced the gap after the result had been achieved. In addition, they also announced the dismissal of coach Erdem Can. Olimpia lasted a little longer in Athens, but was never really in the running to win. The consequence is that a delicate game will be played in Turkey. Efes is going through a transition period after its golden years, but the team is worth more than the league table says. It has had injury problems and has also tweaked the roster during the season. Right now, it has more or less the whole team at its disposal thanks to the return of Will Clyburn, who represented the heaviest loss, and Derek Willis, who was however buffered by the acquisition from Tortona of Mike Daum, absent in Kaunas due to injury. Olimpia reinserted first Maodo Lo and, in Athens, also Nikola Mirotic. But the match with Panathinaikos was a step backwards compared to previous tests, even just the victory over Barcelona. In Athens, Olimpia had gone on a seven-game winning streak in the previous nine outings between EuroLeague and the Italian league. The team left Athens at lunchtime.
NOTES – Anadolu Efes Istanbul-EA7 Emporio Armani Milano will be played on Friday 2 February, at 18:30 Italian time, in Istanbul. Live on Sky Sport and DAZN.
THE REFEREE – Miguel Angel Perez (Spain), Luka Kardum (Slovenia), Alberto Baena (Spain).
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “Both teams come from a disappointing performance in the previous round, so I expect a rather nervous match. The team that will be able to keep more control over its nerves and play with more self-discipline will certainly have a better chance of winning”.
EFES ISTANBUL – Efes paid in the first half of the season not only for the changes compared to the team that won the EuroLeague twice or even compared to last season (Vasa Micic and Bryant Dunston left), but also for the injuries that deprived the team for weeks of Will Clyburn, Elijah Bryant, Derek Willis and Tibor Pleiss. Having sold Ante Zizic, they added forward Mike Daum and centre Daniel Oturu to the roster this season. The top picks, however, remain guards Shane Larkin, Darius Thompson, Rodrigue Beaubois, and Elijah Bryant. Larkin is producing yet another exceptional season of his career with 17.8 points and 5.4 assists per contest, in addition to shooting 38.5% from three in over 33 minutes of average use; Thompson scores 12.8 points per contest to which he adds 3.3 assists. Bryant, who missed 11 games due to injury, is worth 10.6 points, 3.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per contest while playing small forward during Clyburn’s stop. The same goes for Frenchman Beaubois (11.3 points, 40.0% from three, 2.5 assists per game). Clyburn, 10 games out, produces 10.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Willis is the classic strong wing of important physical size with a great outside shot (8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds on average, 44.4% from three), similar characteristics to those of Mike Daum (9.4 points on average, 76.0% from two, 41.3% from three). The centres are Tyrique Jones (8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 62.5% from two), Dan Oturu (10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds of which 2.3 on the offensive side, 72.0% from two) and Tibor Pleiss, who missed 12 games: 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds on average).
HISTORY VS. EFES – Olimpia has played against Efes 39 times in EuroLeague since 2005/06 with a 14-25 record that includes 1-3 in the playoffs in the 2021/22 season. There has been no shortage of daring episodes. In the 2013/14 season, Milan won 77-73 with a sensational comeback in the last quarter, 26-11 with 22 points from Keith Langford. In the first game of the 2018/19 season, Olimpia won 81-80 with a triple almost at the end of the period by Mike James. Three years ago, Olimpia won the first leg in Istanbul 72-69 with 18 points by Kevin Punter, after a very strange performance: a 26-11 second period gave them a 15-point lead, but Efes responded with a 21-6 run in the third period, only to succumb again in the final. Two years ago, Olimpia won in Milan 75-71 with 16 points from Malcolm Delaney, then repeated in Istanbul 83-77 with 47-26 in the second half. In the playoffs, it won Game 2 73-66 after losing Melli in Game 1, Delaney and Rodriguez in Game 2, with 21 points from Shavon Shields. The precedents also include the 2013/14 season Efes’ win by one in Istanbul with Zoran Planinic’s triple at the end of the period from 25 metres. Overall, the record is 26-15 for Efes and includes the 1996 Korac Cup.
NICOLO’ MELLI NOTES – Nicolò Melli has entered the podium of all-time defensive rebounders in the EuroLeague surpassing after Georgios Printezis also Felipe Reyes. Melli now boasts 1,095 defensive rebounds, 69 less than Ioannis Bourosis, who was his teammate for two years at Olimpia. Melli is also eighth in total rebounds with 1,458: he surpassed Georgios Printezis who preceded him in the last game. Melli is two baskets away from being the third Olimpia player with 300 baskets from two in the EuroLeague after Kyle Hines and Kaleb Tarczewski.
SHAVON SHIELDS NOTES – Despite breaking the streak of 11 games with at least two threes scored, Shields is the sixth scorer in the competition, third in threes hit per game and 11th in scoring. Shields is 45 points shy of Vlado Micov’s 1,232 points and second all-time in Olimpia’s EuroLeague scorer ranking.
KYLE HINES NOTES – Hines made 86 stops in the EuroLeague with Olimpia. He is minus two from the club record held by Kaleb Tarczewski.
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