Shane Larkin saves the day for Andalou Efes in overtime

Shane Larkin delivered the final-play heroics for Andalou Efes in Sunday’s overtime thriller against Pinar Karsiyaka.

With time winding down, the American point guard drove down the middle of the lane and released a shot, beating the buzzer and Pinar Karsiyaka 82-80.

The 2019 Turkish League Finals MVP paced Efes with 21 points and grabbed four rebounds. Teammate Vasilije Micic also had a productive performance, contributing 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

With the road victory, Efes (14-1) now has a two-game lead in the Turkish League standings. Karsiyaka and Fenerbahce are in second with 12-3 records. Fenerbahce defeated Bursaspor 86-83 in another crucial Sunday contest, with Nando De Colo scoring a game-best 29 points for the victors.

Larkin provides spark

With 21 seconds to go into the fourth period, a Shane Larkin basket tied it at 73-73. As a result, his team was still in the hunt.

But Karsiyaka still had time for some late drama, too. However, Tony Taylor took an off-target shot with 4 seconds to play.

That forced overtime.

Efes takes control

In the bonus period, Efes used a 7-0 spurt to pull ahead.

Karsiyaka then responded with a pivotal run of its own to knot the score at 80-all.

Again, this set the stage for the 27-year-old Shane Larkin’s heroics. He soared through the air with full-body control, tightly holding the ball with his right hand, then took an underhanded shot.

The latest chapter of Larkin’s winning exploits for Efes occurred only a few weeks after he shattered the EuroLeague’s single-game scoring mark. On Nov. 29 against FC Bayern Munich, the University of Miami product poured in 49 points. He sank 10 of 12 3-pointers.

“I really don’t know what to say right now,” the former NBA player said after that game. “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.”

Productive performer

In 16 EuroLeague games this season, Shane Larkin, whose NBA career included stints with the Mavericks, Knicks, Nets, and Celtics, is averaging 20.2 points.