Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz delivered a statement road performance on Thursday night, defeating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 89-75 at Turkcell Basketball Development Center in Round 22 of the EuroLeague.
The victory snapped Baskonia’s 19-game road losing streak, one of the longest in competition history, and lifted the Spanish club to 8-14 in the standings.
It also extended the struggles of Anadolu Efes, which dropped to 6-16 and remained near the bottom of the table after another uneven defensive showing.
The game was tightly contested early, with 16 lead changes across the first three quarters as both teams traded baskets and momentum.
Once Baskonia moved in front late in the third period, the visitors never relinquished control, executing with precision down the stretch.
Rodions Kurucs played a central role in the turning point, scoring 12 of his team-high 18 points in the second half.
Kurucs drilled a three-pointer to cap a decisive 7-0 run that pushed Baskonia ahead 65-59, then calmly closed the door from the free-throw line in the final minute.
Trent Forrest continued his return to form with a complete performance, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists for a career-high PIR of 32.
The guard scored six points and added two assists in the fourth quarter, repeatedly punishing defensive breakdowns as Baskonia pulled away.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot delivered his best stretch late, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the final six minutes to seal the outcome.
Kobi Simmons added 14 points, giving Baskonia four players in double figures during its most efficient offensive display away from home this season.
The visitors dominated the final period with 31 points, shooting 7-of-9 on two-pointers and converting all 11 free throws while winning the rebounding battle late.
Efes struggled to match that execution, committing 15 turnovers and failing to generate consistent offense despite balanced scoring.
Jordan Loyd led the hosts with 12 points, while Rodrigue Beaubois added nine in limited minutes.
Head coach Pablo Laso saw his team drop its ninth loss in the last ten games as defensive issues persisted.
Baskonia remains on the road next week, visiting Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens before facing Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, while Efes travels to Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv and then hosts Olympiacos Piraeus.
