After the break, the Frenchman contributed 19 of his team’s 56 second-half points.
Rodrigue Beaubois took Efes to another level against Barcelona
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 22 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Rodrigue Beaubois has been there and done it all in an Anadolu Efes Istanbul jersey. Now in his sixth season with the Turkish club, the 35-year-old guard reminded everybody of his quality with a stellar second-half display as Efes beat FC Barcelona 98-74 in Round 22 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Things were certainly going well for Efes in the first half as it went into the halftime break with a 42-39 lead, but Beaubois’s contribution had been minimal to say the least: 2 points and 1 assist in 6:12 minutes on the floor. Barca was certainly still in the game, yet the Frenchman would ensure that wouldn’t be the case for long.
Leading the second-half charge
An offensive clinic was on display at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in the third quarter as Efes and Barca combined for 51 points, with the hosts edging the battle 30-21. That meant it led 72-60 entering the fourth quarter.
In that third period, Beaubois was particularly effective in his time on the floor, adding a further 8 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 1 steal in just 5:28 minutes. However, it was in the fourth where Beaubois really took over and effectively put the game to bed.
Having been on the floor for 6:26 minutes in the fourth quarter, Beaubois netted 11 points, grabbed 2 more rebounds and dished 1 further assist. Notably, it was the veteran who helped swell the lead at the start of the quarter, hitting a three-pointer and converting a three-point play with the first two scores of the fourth to put Efes 78-60 ahead. From there on out, it was Efes’s to lose.
Well, even when it became clear late on that Efes was going to notch its ninth win of the season and record back-to-back victories, Beaubois didn’t show any sign of slowing down. Many of the Barca players had already waved the white flag, but he moved to 21 points with 1:38 to go after a perfectly timed cut resulted in an easy layup.
Tying his season high
Those 21 points are a joint season high for Beaubois, who recorded the same tally in an 82-89 win at AS Monaco back in Round 8. That day, however, he played 30:51 minutes. On Thursday night, just 18:06. It was efficiency at its finest.
Beaubois’s stats come the final buzzer read: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and a 29 PIR. He may be up there in age, but the guard’s influence on a resurgent Efes side was there for all to see in Round 22 against Barca.
Efes has now beaten two of the top three teams in the standings in back-to-back rounds, having also surprised Virtus Segafredo Bologna 99-75 last Friday night, and the picture suddenly looks very different. Those seven consecutive defeats already feel like a long time ago.