Hapoel Tel Aviv Stuns Anadolu Efes With Dominant EuroLeague First Half
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Hapoel Tel Aviv achieved one of its best EuroLeague halves in years, leading Anadolu Efes by 22 points at halftime on Wednesday. The team shot exceptionally well and displayed strong playmaking despite missing two players. Turkish media expressed shock at Anadolu's collapse, calling Hapoel a "force of nature."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv led Anadolu Efes by 22 points at halftime in a EuroLeague game.
- The team shot over 76% on two-pointers and 57% on three-pointers in the first half.
- Hapoel achieved the dominant lead despite missing two key players due to illness and injury.
- The 21-point halftime advantage was Hapoel's second-largest in EuroLeague history.
- Turkish media described Hapoel's performance as a "force of nature" and Anadolu's as a collapse.
Hapoel Tel Aviv delivered a spectacular first-half performance against Anadolu Efes in a EuroLeague game on Wednesday, heading into halftime with a commanding 22-point lead in Istanbul. The team's impressive 6-25 run to close out the half marked one of their best halves in the EuroLeague in recent years. Hapoel shot an exceptional 76.2% on two-point field goals (16-of-22) and 57% from three-point range (8-of-14), while dishing out 13 assists against only two turnovers. This dominant display was achieved with 11 available players, missing Jacob Toppin due to illness and Vasilije Micić due to injury. The team's previous best half this season was against Real Madrid, where they led 63-43. The 21-point halftime lead is their second-largest in the EuroLeague, following a 65-40 lead over Virtus Bologna last year. In both of those games last season, Hapoel came back from double-digit halftime deficits to win. Turkish media reacted with astonishment, with Sportal noting that Hapoel is "very difficult to stop when they initiate" and "a good basketball team." Reports from Turkey further described Hapoel as "simply ran away and took the game with them," adding that Anadolu "should be a fighting team, that really didn't look like it. They simply fell apart. Hapoel Tel Aviv a force of nature."
