Shane Larkin, after opening a shocking season in his terms came back in a big way – and helped Anadolu get a ‘V’ against a rival superior to her on paper. Indeed, Barça had already risen to 10:20 in the first quarter. The Turks bit into the gap and a great third quarter (11:25) gave them a double-digit advantage. Nick Klats shrank to 79:75, two minutes to the buzzer, but Larkin, who if not he, made sure to keep the win in Istanbul.
Oriola gets involved in front of the Anadolu players’ guard
(Photo: EPA)
Second consecutive loss. Sharas
(Photo: EPA)
Larkin, as mentioned, was formidable with 23 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Vasily Mitchic added 17 and Kronoslav Simon contributed 16 of his own for Anadolu (8: 8). Nikola Mirotic provided 18 for the loser (5:11), Klats scored 15.
Zenit St. Petersburg (5: 9) crushed the Red Star Belgrade 69:98, thanks to 16 threes and a huge performance by Casey Rivers. The American scored 7 of 8 from outside the arc and contributed 23 points, 14 of them in the final quarter. Kevin Pangos added 17. Johnny O’Brien recorded 13 for the loser (11: 5).
Garuba scores two more points against Alba
(Photo: EPA)
CSKA Moscow returned from France with 78:87 over Wheelerban (10: 5). What did Mike James do, you ask? Another great performance: 31 points and 6 assists in 36 minutes. Real Madrid (5:11) Defeated Alba Berlin 62:91 (9: 6) Young talent Osman Garuba scored 15.