By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Ante Zizic scored a season-best 24-point performance to power Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to a 93-74 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to lead the team back to the EuroLeague playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The Israeli side had punched a playoffs ticket in 2019-20 before the campaign was canceled due to the COVID outbreak and now they are set to make their long-awaited return.
After a tight contest in the first half, Maccabi extended its streak to 12 points at the midpoint of the third quarter (62-50) and never looked back since to complete the sweep over ASVEL and improve to a 15-11 record with their fourth consecutive win.
“They are a good team, a very talented team. It took us time to get into the flow of the game, but we made it in the third and the fourth quarter and I’m happy with that”, commented Avi Even post-game.
James Nunnally added 16 points to Maccabi’s efforts, Jalen Reynolds picked up 15 points, Scottie Wilbekin followed with 14 points and 4 assists, and Keenan Evans had 10 points.
Maccabi completed its weekly obligations with back-to-back victories (W over Panathinaikos for their Round 21 makeup game Tuesday) and still has two games left in the regular season. Even’s squad travels to Barcelona next week (April 7) for their Round 34 duel and faces Fenerbahce on April 13 for their Round 23 rescheduled contest.
Charles Kahudi tapped 12 points for ASVEL (8-19) and Kostas Antetokounmpo exited the game with 10. TJ Parker’s squad will complete their regular season when hosting Olimpia Milano on April 7.
Photo credit: EuroLeague