After defeating Pınar Karşıyaka 97-90 in the third game of the Basketball Super League Play-Off semifinal series, Anadolu Efes became the first team to advance to the final with a 3-0 series lead.
Karsiyaka, who lost last season’s final to Anadolu Efes in the first two games of this season’s semifinals in Istanbul, could not avoid surrendering to their rival at Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Karşıyaka Sports Hall. Larkin scored 28 points for Anadolu Efes, hitting all his shots, especially in the first half.
Pinar Karsiyaka vs Anadolu Efes: 90-97
SALON Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Karsiyaka
REFEREES: Mehmet Karabilecen, Fatih Arslanoglu, Alper Özgök
PINAR KARŞIYAKA: Kenan Sipahi 14, McCollum 28, Martin 16, Vitto Brown 17, Furkan Haltalı 8, Jaylon Brown 4, Thomas Akyazılı 3, Mert Celep, Ergi Tırpancı
ANADOLU EFES: Larkin 28, Dogus Ozdemiroglu 16, Clyburn 19, Ercan Osmani, Oturu 5, Beaubois 11, Willis 13, Erkan Yilmaz 5
1ST PERIOD: 20-24
FIRST HALF 42-48
3RD PERIOD: 67-72
Pınar Karşıyaka started the game with McCollum, Kenan and Furkan’s short-range shots and Anadolu Efes responded with Larkin and Doğuş. While Larkin scored 12 points with 100 percent accuracy in the first 10 minutes, the guests took the lead with two consecutive 3-pointers by Doğuş and finished the period 24-20 ahead.
In the second period, Anadolu Efes’ Larkin’s scoring play was accompanied by Willis and Beaubois’ three-pointers and Clyburn’s three-pointers from under the basket, pushing the difference up to 11 points. McCollum’s three-pointer at the buzzer ended the half 48-42 in favor of the hosts. Larkin scored 20 points in the first half for Anadolu Efes, hitting 4-of-4 twos and 4-of-4 threes without missing a shot.
At the beginning of the third period, Anadolu Efes continued its high percentage three-point shooting. Karsiyaka found the balance in the game by defending Larkin with young Ergi, but McCollum, Martin and Vitto Brown cut the deficit to 2 points with 1 minute left in the period. The period ended 72-67 in favor of the guests with a last-second three-pointer by Efes’ Beaubois.
In the last period, when Pınar Karşıyaka narrowed the gap, Anadolu Efes scored critical points with Clyburn and Willis to win 97-90 and advance to the final.
