Anadolu Efes Istanbul ended its road losing streak in dramatic fashion on Thursday with an 81-80 victory over FC Bayern Munich at SAP Garden.
The decisive moment came at the buzzer when Cole Swider knocked down the game-winning shot after playing just over three minutes, sealing Efes’s first road win since December and improving the club’s record to 10-21.
Swider entered late and delivered immediately when his number was called.
The contest unfolded in two contrasting halves. Bayern controlled the opening stages and built a 13-point lead as the home team dictated the tempo and capitalized on defensive gaps.
Efes struggled to organize its offense before halftime and committed nine turnovers while scoring only 26 points in the first 20 minutes.
The momentum shifted completely after the break as the Turkish side found offensive rhythm and increased defensive pressure.
Efes scored 55 points in the second half and hit nine three-pointers after making only three from long distance before halftime.
Jordan Loyd led the comeback with 20 points and delivered his best stretch after the break.
After scoring five points in the first half, Loyd erupted for 15 in the final two quarters to help erase Bayern’s early advantage.
PJ Dozier added 12 points after a scoreless first half, while Sehmus Hazer contributed 11 as Efes spread the scoring among several players.
Efes finished the night shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line while committing only 11 turnovers.
Bayern struggled to regain its rhythm after the break as Efes tightened its defense and forced mistakes.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes led Bayern with 15 points, while Andreas Obst finished with 13 points but hit just one of seven attempts from three-point range.
Efes will host AS Monaco on March 19, while Bayern returns home the same day to face Dubai Basketball.
