Anadolu Efes win Game 1 in Turkish basketball playoff finals

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Istanbul's ​​​​​​​Anadolu Efes on Tuesday took a 1-0 lead in the 2023 Türkiye Sigorta Basketball Super Lig playoff finals after beating Pinar Karsiyaka 82-78 at home.

The team with three wins in the series will be this season's Turkish champions.

Anadolu Efes' Serbian guard Vasilije Micic scored 24 points to be the top scorer in Game 1 held at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul.

Elijah Bryant and Amath M'Baye scored 15 points each for Anadolu Efes.

The victors' star Shane Larkin added 11 points.

Anadolu Efes forward Will Clyburn posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Errick McCollum, a former Anadolu Efes guard, led Pinar Karsiyaka with 21 points.

Braian Alexander Angola had 15 points for the visitors, while Pinar Karsiyaka pair Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Vittorio Brown delivered 14 points each.

Lithuanian forward Kuzminskas took 10 rebounds as well.

In the fourth quarter, the visitors were on a 67-66 lead for the first time after Brown hit a three-pointer with almost six minutes and 35 seconds remaining.

But Anadolu Efes secured the 82-78 win, scoring from the free throw line as their opponents Pinar Karsiyaka were troubled by team fouls near the end of the game.

The next game will be played on Thursday in Istanbul.

Anadolu Efes will visit Pinar Karsiyaka in the western province of Izmir for the third game of the series on Saturday.