The center stepped up in the fourth quarter to wrap up the win on Fenerbahce's court
Among many derby heroes, Dan Oturu came up huge for Efes
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Regular Season
Round 33 of 34
Group Regular Season
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As Anadolu Efes Istanbul pulled out a dramatic 80-82 road win in the Turkish Derby against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, an unlikely hero came to the fore.
Many would have expected the heroes to be Will Clyburn and Shane Larkin, the only two players who spent more than 22 minutes on the floor. After all, Efes got 21 points from Clyburn, who played 33 minutes and made a series of tough shots, He also led the team with 5 rebounds, while helping with 4 assists.
Larkin, meanwhile, played 31 minutes, scoring 15 points, including what ended up being a game-winning floater with 11 seconds to go. He also led the team with 5 assists.
Another likely hero was Rodrigue Beaubois, the only other Efes player in double digits. He scored 10 points, but none was more important than his three-pointer with the shot clock expiring to put Efes up 74-79.
Arise Dan Oturu
However, it's hard to think Efes would have pulled out this win without big man Dan Oturu.
The Efes center played 2 minutes and 30 seconds in the second quarter, committing one personal foul, and was part of the group that allowed Fenerbahce to finish the half with a 7-0 run and take a 36-32 lead into halftime.
Oturu went back into action in the final 24 seconds of the third quarter before starting the fourth. The 24-year-old got things going with a big dunk and then scored a layup, but he also committed 2 more fouls, sending Marko Guduric to the foul line on both occasions.
But head coach Tomica Mijatovic left him in the game, and that move paid dividends.
Offensively, he fought hard under the basket, scoring four more points, first making two free throws that made it 61-67, then scoring in transition and drawing a foul from Nick Calathes to set a 65-71 scoreline with 4:25 left.
Making more big plays down the stretch
Defensively, Oturu delivered a block on Johnathan Motley when Fenerbahce was trying to cut the deficit to a single possession. Then, in the penultimate minute, he might have won the game for Efes.
He first challenged Nigel Hayes-Davis's shot, forcing last week's 50-point scorer to attempt a high-arching floater that was not even close, before coming up with a defensive rebound after no one seemed able to grab it.
Oturu went on to draw two more free throws on the other end with 1:25 to go. He made the first to open a 69-75 lead, but after he missed his second free throw, he grabbed an offensive board, giving Efes another possession and the ability to run down more time on the clock.
That proved to be key as Fenerbahce made its final run, but Beaubois and Larkin hit big-time shots to see Efes over the line.
Fenerbahce suffered just its second home loss of the season and it was Efes's fourth road win, but few come sweeter than in the local derby. Especially in a game of such significance, as Efes knows a win in its regular-season finale would not only secure it a postseason spot but a home game in the Play-In Showdown.