He’s known as Da Thrill but Will Clyburn went full Braveheart for Anadolu Efes on Friday night. In a must-win Istanbul derby over Fenerbahce, he fought to keep their Euroleague Basketball destiny in Efes’ hands
Will Clyburn has long been a reliable baller. He’s not been the luckiest. On Friday he reminded us why he is often overlooked as one of the best in Euroleague Basketball. Clyburn’s guts guided Anadolu Efes to a vital win in the Istanbul derby over Fenerbahce. As a result, his side controls its own future.
This was William Wallace stuff
Will Clyburn’s heart has never been in doubt. His health certainly has. Injuries have not been kind to the 33 year old over his career. The sheer ability of Clyburn to explode while healthy made him worth the price of admission. This was not the Will Clyburn we saw on Friday night. More importantly, Anadolu Efes got the version they needed.
The stat line was great. His 21 points on 7/12 shooting with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal obviously reads like a good night. It was how he got those stats that really mattered in this one.
Going into this game, Anadolu Efes controlled its Euroleague Basketball destiny. Defeat would change that instantly. Clyburn barreled and scrapped as hard as possible. He actively sought contact, daring Fenerbahce to try and stop him. He took his bumps like a champ. Then Clyburn got up and got back to work. This was a warrior’s display.
This Anadolu Efes team looks scary
Injuries, including to the protagonist of the night, have been a theme for Efes all season. Right now, late in the day, is the healthiest the team has been throughout this Euroleague Basketball campaign.
On Friday, they needed all of those healthy bodies to stand up. Make no mistake, the night belonged to Will Clyburn. Still, Rodrigue Beaubois, Shane Larkin, and a fourth quarter takeover by Dan Oturu all fed into the win.
It’s not like this was an off night for Fenerbahce. There were some fantastic moments across the board from the home side. Georgios Papagiannis, Marko Guduric, and Tarik Biberovic all made plays that looked to have taken the game from the grasp of Efes.
Despite all that, the visitors found a way to win. The rough road record for Efes masks an immensely dangerous side. No team that has yet to secure a postseason spot looks more capable of springing a surprise in a playoff series.
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It’s in their hands
The most important thing for Anadolu Efes on Friday night was the win, obviously. It means that going into Round 34 of the regular season, they control their Euroleague Basketball future.
A defeat would have meant they needed favours. Will Clyburn, quite simply, made sure that didn’t happen. Now the maths are simple. Beat Crvena Zvezda at home next week and they progress to the play-ins.
That is vital to this Efes side. With so many teams biting at their heels, there are simply too many favours they would have needed for progress to be plausible next week had they lost.
Much as it was a vital win for Efes, it may have proven to be a disastrous defeat for Fenerbahce. The fortress they have built with their home court had only fallen once before Friday night. That second home loss could change their future irrevocably.
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Home court out of the equation for Fener
That defeat ended any chance for Fenerbahce to secure home court in the Euroleague Basketball playoffs. Fener fans have little love for Anadolu Efes at the best of times but they have extra cause to curse their name along with that of Will Clyburn after Friday’s defeat.
Fenerbahce now must win a road game in the playoffs. That’s not exactly unimaginable but it is annoying for them. To go 15-2 on home court in the season and not secure home court in the playoff series is going to be extremely frustrating for players and fans alike.
It’s also some nice payback for Efes. This time last year, Fenerbahce ended the era of Cool Efes. This new Efes, well it may not be as fun but it’s got a whole lot of heart. The talent is there to back it up too.
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