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Lorenzo Brown (Instagram Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Maccabi Tel Aviv is looking to take another step towards the Euroleague playoffs when it hosts Villerban at this time in the 30th cycle of the factory. Oded Ketch’s players are looking to continue the good period and register a sixth victory in a row in all formats.
The Yellows come to the meeting on French soil looking for a fourth victory on the factory floors. In the previous round of the Euroleague, they beat Basconia at home, equaling their longest streak of the season in the factory and moving up to sixth place in the Euroleague.
On the other hand, Villerban already counts eight consecutive losses in the Euroleague and is in the 18th and last place in the table. Despite the losses in the European arena, the team of the Parker family brothers beat Strasbourg in the last game and qualified for the final of the French Cup.
First quarter: 22:22
Villerban Quintet: Di Bost, Nando de Colo, Amin Noe, David Lighty and Yussupa Pal.
Maccabi Tel Aviv Quintet: Lorenzo Brown, Wade Baldwin, Bonzie Coulson, Jake Cohen and Josh Niebo.
Wade Baldwin opened the game with a quick shot from half distance. David Leighty scored two consecutive 3-pointers and against Bonzi Coulson’s sniping and a hard basket after an offensive rebound tied the score 6:12 yellow after three minutes. The good start was hampered a little and Nando de Colo with a basket and a foul along with a shot by Yussupa Pal narrowed the difference to 14:11. The teams went to the first timeout after about five minutes of basketball.
Maccabi had to miss and a three-pointer by Di Bost gave the French their first lead in the game – 14:16. Jarel Martin with a good defensive action intercepted De Colo and sank a burst, but Lorenzo Brown was distracted and Ratin Obasohn made it 16:20 for the locals. John DiBartolomeu got on the board with a basket on a great penetration, Maccabi still had several opportunities to regain the advantage but a sleepy quarter ended in a 22-2 tie.
second quarter
Jonah Matthews scored the first points in the second quarter, Baldwin from half distance kept the tie.
