The “magical” Efes brought Barcelona to its knees in the second half with a three-point party (11/22), even closing the gap of the first round game (98-74).
With unstoppable Place at +5 for Efes
The first quarter belonged to Place, who did whatever he wanted on the floor, finishing the first quarter with 10 points. The German center with a quick 6-0 run gave Chan’s team the lead, but Barcelona was slow to get into the game and managed to close the gap to one point (12-11) at 7′ with a three-pointer by Brithuela. Clyburn stepped on the court again after the 11th game and gave Efes an immediate solution for a 16-13 lead, with the quarter ending at 18-13 on a basket by Otouros at the buzzer.
Larkin’s streak responded to Willie’s recital
Barcelona found a protagonist in the second quarter in Willy Hernangometh, who stopped at 11 points and with his help the Catalans managed not only to tie the game, but also to take the lead in the game for the first time. The Spanish center at 23′ closed the gap to 26-24 and at 24′ tied the game (27-27). Willie at 26′ gave Barcelona the first lead at 31-33, but the hosts didn’t leave much room for the Catalans to do more and turned the game around again with Tyrick Jones and Oturu, before Larkin took over and scored his first 5 points to make it 42-39 at half-time.
Three-point shooting and +12 for Efes
To start the third quarter, Place picked up where he left off and made it 44-39, with Kalinich responding with a three-pointer to make it 44-42 at 22′. The rest of the game was… a machine gun contest, with both teams engaging in a barrage from outside the 6.75m line, with Thompson giving Efes a 6-point edge (52-46) at 24′. Veseli cut the deficit to 54-50 at 25′, with Bobois making it 56-50 at 26′ and then a 3-pointer to make it 59-52. Willie closed the gap again for Barcelona to 59-55 at 27′, but Bobois had gained momentum and with his 2nd accurate shot from the perimeter the hosts were up (65-58) at 28′. Larkin continued the recital, with the American ace sending Efes to a double-digit lead for the first time (68-58). Larkin even made it 70-58 at 30′, with the quarter ending with the score at 72-60.
Finished in style and comfort
The last quarter was a one-man show, with Efes stepping on the gas and Barcelona running out of… gas. Chan’s team’s big weapon was once again the three-point shot, with Larkin even making a dunk and seeing it as a… barrel. The American ace at 34′ with a shot from the perimeter sent the hosts to +17 (86-69), before Willis again made a three-pointer to make it 91-69 at 35′ and put an early end to the game. The only thing that remained to be seen was whether Efes would cover the -17 of the first game, with the 98-74 victory breaking that barrier as well.
The quarters: 18-13, 42-39, 72-60, 98-74
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