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oct 22 2026The first Turkish derby of the EuroLeague season went to Anadolu Efes. Pablo Laso's team defeated Besiktas (89-80) after building a 21-point lead in the first half, suffering a strong visitor comeback after halftime, and closing out the game with three-pointers from Cam Payne. Both teams remain with three wins and four losses.
The game was also special for Santi Yusta. The Madrid small forward scored 13 points, his best scoring performance in the EuroLeague, and was one of the key pieces for an Efes team that distributed the scoring well: in addition to Payne, Collin Malcolm added 15 and Dario Šarić, 14.
A first half to forget for Besiktas
Efes came out determined to attack the rim and succeeded from the start. Before the fifth minute, all five starters had scored, and Devon Dotson and Conor Morgan, from Besiktas, each had two fouls. With an 18-9 lead just minutes in, the first quarter closed at 29-17. Laso's team continued punishing the paint and the free throw line until heading into halftime with a 21-point advantage (57-36).
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Besiktas's comeback and Payne's response
Dusan Alimpijevic made adjustments at halftime. Besiktas scored the first ten points of the third quarter and kept pressing until getting within seven (65-58). The quarter ended with an 11-24 run in favor of the visitors and the game back in contention (68-60).
But the effort took its toll on Besiktas, who stopped making shots in the final quarter. That's when Payne appeared, hitting three three-pointers in two and a half minutes to push the lead to 15 points. The point guard finished with 22 points, his best mark in the EuroLeague, 14 of them in the fourth quarter. Eugene Omoruyi, with 16 points, and Jaylen Nowell, with 14, were Besiktas's leading scorers.
