Two days after their loss to Real Madrid in the EuroLeague opener, Efes used Turkish League competition as a launching pad to bounce back in a big way.

Rival Beşiktaş was no match as Efes returned to the dominant style of team-basketball that made blowout wins commonplace last season and strolled to a convincing 101-55 win. Efes now moves to 2-0 in Turkish BSL play.

Efes has had plenty of success against Beşiktaş in their past few matchups, winning four of their last five games against them dating back to 2019.

Shane Larkin played the role of floor general in his 19 minutes on the court, scoring four points and dishing out a team-high eight assists. Veteran guard Rodrigue Beaubois led Efes with 21 points while the team finished with four players scoring in double figures.

The team’s dominance sprung from the same perimeter shooting and playmaking that earned them their Turkish BSL title last season, shooting 14-of-25 from 3-point land along with 30 assists. They took control of the lead from the start, jumping out to a 33-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. Beşiktaş’ struggles were only amplified in the second quarter, as a suffocating Efes defense yielded just five points in the 10-minute stretch. They led by 37 points going into the second half.

Keeping their foot on the gas in the second half, Efes led by as much as 53 points, never letting up en route to a huge victory.

Efes will play their next game on Friday, October 8 when they play CSKA Moscow for their second EuroLeague game of the season.