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| Efes's Larkin shatters EuroLeague scoring mark! |
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Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Shane Larkin wrote his name in golden letters in the record books on Friday when he scored 49 points, the most ever in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game, and matched the mark for three-pointers made with 10 as his team defeated visiting FC Bayern Munich 104-75 for its fifth consecutive victory.
Larkin shattered the previous record of 41 points that had been shared by four players: Alphonso Ford of Peristeri and Carlton Myers of Fortitudo Bologna, who did it six weeks apart in 2001; Kaspars Kambala of Efes Pilsen, who matched them in 2002; and Bobby Brown of Montepaschi Siena, who put up his 41 points in 2013. Only Kambala needed overtime to reach that total.
"I really don't know what to say right now," Larkin said after the final buzzer. "Tonight was one of those nights where you make your first couple of shots and the rim looks like the ocean. I'm just really grateful for this moment. This is truly a blessing, for sure."
Larkin started assaulting the record early, making 4 of 5 shots from downtown on his way to 14 points in the opening quarter on Friday. He added 2 more triples for a 6-for-7 tally by halftime, when he had 25 points already. In the third quarter, Larkin rattled off 11 consecutive points to reach 36 before the fourth quarter started.
Until that point, he had made 3 of 3 two-pointers, 7 of 8 threes and 9 of 10 free throws. He missed his first attempt in the fourth quarter. He added a jumper with 6:50 left to play to reach a new career high of 38, after having scored 37 points last March against FC Barcelona. He missed a subsequent three-pointer before taking a hit and leaving the game momentarily. He returned with 3:13 to play, made a steal and drilled his eighth three-pointer to tie the record.
The record-breaker was a driving layup with 2:13 to play after which Larkin pointed to the heavens in thanks. He then padded it with 2 more three-pointers to equal the EuroLeague record of 10 in one game and to finish with an astounding 49 points in just 31 minutes on the floor.
Larkin's final scoreline showed 5-for-7 two-point, 10-for-12 three-point and 9-for-10 free-throw shooting for 49 points. He also had 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal for a performance index rating of 53, which ranks fifth all-time.
"We've been working really hard as a team every day at practice," Larkin added. "I've been getting better, more healthy. My teammates have been doing a great job of pushing me at practice, the trainers have been doing a great job of getting me healthy."
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