By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Tel Aviv finished the game against Real Madrid with a 10 – 0 run in the last five minutes to take a 75 – 74 victory and continue the push to make the EuroLeague playoffs. Scottie Wilbekin hit the winning free throws for the Yellows that jumped to 13 – 11 and the sixth spot in the standings after making the two-out-of-two in the double-game week.
For a second consecutive game following the loss to Anadolu Efes, Real Madrid absolutely collapsed in the last minutes and lost a battle that looked to be in control of. The Blancos, now 18 – 8, are still the second-placed team in EuroLeague while their archrival Barcelona has now secured first seed.
Keenan Evans dropped a season-high 19 points to lead Maccabi. Wilbekin scored 14 and James Nunnally contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
“[What made this night so special for me] were my teammates,” Evans said. “We just tried to play hard, and the work started the show, and this is our first double-week we got both wins, which is very useful for us.”
Evans began Maccabi’s decisive rally by scoring six straight points after Real took a 64 – 75 lead with 5:41 to play. Real was making one poor decision on offense after the other and became easy prey to Maccabi’s defense while the hosts kept reducing their deficit.
Derrick Williams completed a key sequence by blocking Thomas Heurtel’s 3-point attempt and then running quickly on the other end for a layup that made it 73 – 74. Wilbekin then drained the go-ahead pair from the line with 37 seconds remaining.
Real had several opportunities for a game-winning play but Heurtel, Sergio Llull (in his first appearance in the second half) and Guerschon Yabusele misfired.
Yabusele had 14 points plus seven rebounds and Vincent Poirier posted 13 points for Real that overall went 0 – 12 in the last five minutes and was unable to even go to the line for some easy points.
“I think we played a pretty solid game,” Real coach Pablo Laso said. “We were in control of the situation for most of the time. We had some problems on the defensive rebound in the first half and made some stupid turnovers that hurt us, but we moved the ball well and the only thing I can blame my team a little bit is for the turnovers because I think we got open jumpers, we moved the ball well, and defensively we stayed on our plan, so it’s a shame we didn’t get a victory today, but we have to congratulate Maccabi for the victory.”
“Like a hurricane”
Maccabi completed the double-game week with two wins against Final Four-caliber teams in front of a roaring crowd in Menora Mivtachim arena. A place where “everything can happen,” according to Maccabi coach Avi Even.
“I’ll be honest,” Even said. “At some point of the game, I looked at the scoreboard and I saw a minus 9, but we made some changes and the energy in the arena just rose up like a hurricane. Everything can happen in this gym.
“We played against one of the best teams in Europe and I’m happy we were able to overcome and to win this battle,” It was a tough one and that’s it. [It was a] nice week for us, a good week for us. I’m looking forward to the next one.”