Efes stops Olympiacos for eighth win in nine games!

Anadolu Efes Istanbul shook off a rough start to control Olympiacos Piraeus the rest of the way in a 77-69 victory that keeps alive its hopes of moving higher in the standings. Its eighth win in nine games makes Efes 17-12, tied on victories with Fenerbahce Istanbul and Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, who both play Friday. Olympiacos led 2-10 to start the game, but Efes used a 16-0 run into the second quarter to take control and later withstood a pair of late challenges from the visitors. Thomas Heurtel busted out of a slump with 18 points and 5 assists for the winners. Tyler Honeycutt added a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, plus a career-high 6 assists. Brandon Paul and Bryant Dunston added 11 points each for Efes, as well. Georgios Printezis made 8 of 9 two-point shots for 16 points and pulled 9 rebounds for Olympiacos, whose only other double-digit scorer was Vassilis Spanoulis, who had a double-double of 11 points and 10 assists.

Kostas Papanikolaou dropped a jumper and Printezis a hook shot before Cedi Osman scored for Efes at 2-4. A big block from Khem Birch led to Spanoulis hitting a long two-pointer that Birch followed with a dunk. When Spanoulis hit a tear-drop layup, it was 2-10 and Efes needed a timeout. Heurtel came on and fed Jayson Granger for the game's first triple. Osman drew a second foul on Spanoulis and hit both free throws, then Printezis and Heurtel exchanged baskets. Printezis and Spanoulis kept scoring at 9-15, when Honeycutt fed Dunston for a dunk. Heurtel's layup and steal leading to Derrick Brown's finger roll completed the Efes comeback at 15-15. Heurtel kept it going with a go-ahead two-pointer, and after Brown went coast to coast for a three-point play, finished the quarter with a jumper for a 22-15 Efes advantage. Efes kept rolling with a three-point play from Paul to open the second quarter. Dimitrios Agravanis finally ended a 16-0 run by Efes, but DeShaun Thomas answered at 27-17. Honeycutt next made a great behind-the-back pass to Dunston for a slam, but Erick Green and Dominic Waters hit triples to revive Olympiacos. Heurtel and Patric Young traded two-pointers at 32-25. Spanoulis returned with a triple that Dunston answered with a bank shot. Spanoulis then fed Green for a fastbreak layup as the Reds drew within 34-30. Honeycutt got on the scoreboard with a layup before he and Young exchanged free throws and Printezis scored a transition basket at 38-34. Granger fed Honeycutt for a dunk that Printezis matched with a bank shot. Honeycutt then assisted a triple by Granger that ended an exciting first half 43-36.

Printezis resumed the Olympiacos comeback with back-to-back baskets after halftime, making him 7-for-7 in the game from that distance. Free throws kept Efes ahead until Paul struck from deep to make it 48-40. Vangelis Mantzaris dropped a layup that Brown and Osman answered inside for a double-digit lead, 52-42. Ioannis Papapetrou struck from the corner for Olympiacos before Honeycutt hit a long two-pointer and Heurtel used two great fakes to end the third quarter at 58-50. Agravanis opened the fourth quarter from downtown. Ioannis Papapetrou downed a hook shot and returned moments later with three-pointer to suddenly make it 60-58. Paul settled Efes with a jumper and took a long feed from Honeycutt for a reverse fastbreak layup before Heurtel's killer cross-over and layup made it 66-58. Agravanis ended a broken play with a fastbreak dunk that Brown matched with free throws. Papanikolaou returned with a quick-strike triple to make it 68-63. Dunston and Heurtel hit free throws around a layup by Spanoulis for a 72-65 score with less than 3 minutes left. Birch's tip-in kept Olympiacos within striking distance but only until Honeycutt lengthened the lead with a huge three-pointer at 75-67. Honeycutt then rose for a monster block that led at the other end to Dunston scoring the basket that sealed a 77-69 victory for Olympiacos.