Anadolu Efes handed away loss in rescheduled EuroLeague game

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish basketball club Anadolu Efes was beaten 87-74 late Tuesday by Spain's Bitci Baskonia in a rescheduled Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game.

The game was tight in the first minutes of the fourth quarter, but home team Bitci Baskonia extended their lead to double digits when Sander Raieste made a three point jump shot with four minutes and 16 seconds remaining until the final buzzer.

Bitci Baskonia were the victors in the round 20 game led by Wade Baldwin IV.

The US guard scored 20 points and made 11 assists at Fernando Buesa Arena in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

Italian forward Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points for Bitci Baskonia and Raieste added 11 points for the home team.

In addition, Bitci Baskonia’s Matthew Costello and Rokas Giedraitis scored 10 points each.

The Anadolu Efes guards were balanced in points.

Serbian guard Vasilije Micic scored 23 points and US-born Turkish playmaker guard Shane Larkin clocked 21 points for Anadolu Efes.

Micic and Larkin were the only Anadolu Efes players to score double digits against Bitci Baskonia.

Anadolu Efes are in seventh spot in the standings.

The Istanbul club won 14 games but lost 13 others in the 2021-22 EuroLeague regular season.

Bitci Baskonia have a 8-19 win/loss record to occupy the lower ranks in the standings.

The best eight teams will reach the 2022 EuroLeague playoffs which will start on April 19.