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Anadolu Efes Istanbul was the ultimate challenger in 2021-22 as they successfully defended their Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown. We present a special season of Efes for you.
ย The Biggest Win in EuroLeagueย
This is easy to guess. Could there be a bigger victory than the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game? Efes joined some rare company when they beat Real Madrid 57-58 in Belgrade to defend their EuroLeague crown successfully. Vasilije Micic and Tibor Pleiss did the heavy lifting. The former scored 23 points, and the latter had 19 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks to lead Efes. Best known for their attacking prowess, Efes turned to their defense to limit Real and cruise to the title.
A record-breaking nightย
Efes set a EuroLeague record 22 three-pointers in the 27th round against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv at 109:77. They missed just 12 shots from downtown, and the 64.7% three-point accuracy was a club record. Five players made multiple threes in the game. Adrian Moerman (5-of-7), Vasilije Micic (4-of-5), Shane Larkin (4-of-6), James Anderson (3-of-3), and Elijah Bryant (2-of-2 from). Efes had 28 assists, a season-high and the second most in club history. Efes finished the game with 109 points. This was the most the club has scored in a home game this century. The performance index of 149 was also the second best in club history.
New defensive standards in EuroLeague
While the focus on Efes’ greatness has come from their scoring prowess, coach Ataman’s charges have proven they have the defensive ability to get the job done when needed. And never has that been more true than in the playoffs. Efes held AX Armani Exchange Milan to score just 48 points in Game 1 of their playoff series. They held opponents to an average of 64.0 points during that stretch. Every other team averaged 70 in the playoffs. Moreover, Efes’ defense held Milan to the lowest three-point percentage (29.7%) and true shooting percentage (39.6%) of any team in the playoffs. It was the best defensive showing in a playoff series since 2014 in terms of points allowed and the best in opponents’ true shooting since 2013! Efes needed that defense against Real Madrid again in the Championship match, and the champions proved they could win in attack and defense.
Exceptional shooters
En route to the championship, Efes had an elite offense with several players flirting with the famed 50-40-90 shooting club. James Anderson fell behind only because the swingman didn’t hit the ball hard enough. He made 54.5% of his two-pointers, 45.5% of his threes, and 90.9% from the foul line but only attempted 22 three-pointers and 11 shots. One missed free throw stopped Tibor Plus from becoming the tallest member of the 50-40-90 club. He made 59.8% of his doubles, 44.2% of his triples, and 89.1% of his free throws. Shane Larkin knocked on the door late in the regular season when he shot 53.2%, 39.9%, and 91.9%, but those numbers dropped in the playoffs and the Final Four, finishing with 51.2%, 38.2%, and 89.8%.