A week after losing to Partizan, this evening (Thursday) Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded another loss in Belgrade – this time a painful and dramatic 69:68 to the Red Star, and dropped to a 5:5 balance in the Euroleague at the end of ten rounds. Oded Ketch’s team, which has yet to win this season away from Eliyahu, hoped to continue the momentum from the victory over Olympiakos but was disappointed against the 17th ranked team on the eve of the round, and in this capacity it will be very difficult for them to reach the crossover.
Not for the first time this season, Maccabi Tel Aviv started badly and fell behind early, which turned into a 10-point deficit at the start of the second quarter. The excellent Lorenzo Brown (23 points) and Roman Sorkin (16, career record in the Euroleague) did not say desperate and completed a turnaround in the third quarter, but the visitors kicked the bucket in the decisive moments. Brown, who got very little help from his back line mate Wade Baldwin (6 points on bad percentage, 6 turnovers) could have won the game on the last attack, but missed and the Star celebrated and kept perfect balance under its new coach and veteran Dusko Ivanovic. The Yellows will hope to recover next week, when they host Bayern Munich.
Scorers for Maccabi Tel Aviv: Lorenzo Brown 23, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, Roman Sorkin 16 (8 of 9 from the field) and 6 rebounds, Josh Niebo 10, Wade Baldwin 6 (3 of 11 from the field) and 6 Losses, Jarrell Martin 5, Bonzie Colson 3, John DiBartholomew 3, Deron Hilliard 2. Alex Poithers (20 minutes), Austin Hollins (13 minutes) and Jaylen Adams (7 minutes) shared and did not score.
Stand out in the Red Star: Nemanja Nadovic 12, Hassan Martin 11, Ben Bentil 9, Luka Mitrovic 8.
game move
Quarter 1:
Maccabi Tel Aviv started with Lorenzo Brown, Wade Baldwin, Deron Hilliard, Roman Sorkin and Alex Poithers. After five close minutes, Luca Valdosa hit two three-pointers and raised the star to 7:13. Hassan Martin made it 10:18, but the excellent Brown hit his third three-pointer in the game and reduced it to 18:14. The last word belonged to Philip Petroshov, who shot right at the buzzer and established a record advantage of 17:26 At the end of the first quarter, in which Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded more turnovers (5) than assists (3).
Quarter 2:
This trend continued in the second quarter as well. Nikola Ivanovic added a three-pointer of his own and established a double-digit advantage – 22:32. Bonzie Colson cut to 32:27, Sorkin provided a burst dunk and joined the comeback attempts, but at the end of a dismal first half in which she shot 43 percent to 2, reached the line only four times and continued to record more turnovers (9) than assists (6), Maccabi Tel fell behind Spring 36:29. Brown led with 9 points – all in the first quarter.
Quarter 3:
Sorkin continued to stand out, Wade Baldwin joined and the yellows were reduced to only 37:35. Lorenzo Brown completed a turnaround, and the guest took the first lead in the game – 38:39. Luka Mitrovic restored the advantage to the star, which increased to 44:50, John DiBartolomeu stopped the momentum with an important three-pointer, and at the end of the third quarter 47:50 to the star
Quarter 4:
Ivanovic hit a 3-pointer, Nadovic added one of his own and the Stars went back to 54:60, seven and a half minutes to go. The excellent Brown penetrated nicely and narrowed to 62:60, but then he and Austin Hollins missed, Baldwin lost and the star took advantage of this to climb to 60:68, three minutes to the buzzer. Brown brought it down to 69:66, with a minute and a half to go, Sorkin shrunk it to 69:68, and then the great drama began: after Wildosa missed a three-pointer, the Yellows got the last ball, 23 seconds to the buzzer. Baldwin lost but the star could not take control, and the guest got another chance, with nine seconds on the clock. For some reason, she did it slowly, Brown eventually got the ball, gambled for a three-pointer – but missed. it ends in68:69 Dramati Lakohav Hadum at the end.
Next week, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play another away game, when they will be hosted by Bayern in Munich.