By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
It’s safe to say Maccabi feels at home in Belgrade. In their third game at the temporary residence in Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, the Tel Aviv side secured a second win.
After defeating Bayern and experiencing a loss to Olympiacos, Oded Kattash’s players emerged victorious in a thrilling battle against Fenerbahce, with a final score of 78-73.
Lorenzo Brown led the scoring for the winning side with 18 points, but he wasn’t the most valuable player for Maccabi. It was James Webb who finished the match with a Player Index Rating (PIR) of 18, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds.
Bonzie Colson had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Wade Baldwin returned to the court, scoring 12 points with five assists, four steals, and four assists.
Tarik Biberovic scored a career-high in EuroLeague for Fenerbahce, but out of his 18 points, he scored 16 in the first half. Scottie Wilbekin also scored 18 with seven assists, while Nigel Hayes-Davis followed them with 16 points. Dimitris Itoudis once again couldn’t count on Marko Guduric and Nick Calathes, as well as Dayshawn Pierre and Sertac Sanli, who remained in Istanbul.
Fenerbahce secured a double-digit lead in the first quarter, scoring 28 points in the initial 10 minutes. Maccabi mounted a comeback, but the Istanbul side once again established an 11-point lead (32-43) and finished the first half with a 38-46 advantage.
However, the Israeli side mounted another strong push in the dying moments of the third quarter, entering the final 10 minutes trailing by just one point (56-57). They turned the score around in the fourth period, going back and forth with Fenerbahce. Eventually, they secured a 66-72 lead in the final two minutes. Itoudis’ team tied the game after Wilbekin’s triple with 42 seconds on the clock, but Maccabi prevailed in the end after Baldwin made four free throws in the last moments.
Maccabi’s dominance on the offensive glass
Second-chance points played a crucial role for the winning side tonight, with Maccabi securing 22 offensive rebounds compared to Fenerbahce’s eight. Dimitris Itoudis also highlighted the 16 turnovers from his team as one of the key factors contributing to a third straight defeat in Belgrade, following losses to Partizan and Crvena Zvezda
“It was a very interesting match, and I congratulate Maccabi on the victory. They dominated us in rebounds, often scoring on second chances. Our opponents finished the match with 22 offensive rebounds, while we managed only 25 defensive rebounds. This situation explains many things. We were aware that Maccabi was highly effective in offensive rebounds, and we prepared accordingly. Unfortunately, we couldn’t execute our plans as they constantly secured offensive rebounds with multiple players, causing significant challenges for us. Additionally, we committed 16 turnovers,” Itoudis said.
Maccabi’s coach Oded Kattash praised his team’s defense in the second half.
“We had a great win. It was a challenging week, especially after our significant loss against Olympiacos. We started the Fenerbahçe match poorly, with our energy levels low. Additionally, we lacked concentration, making it difficult to compete against a team like Fenerbahçe. Starting matches poorly has been a recurring issue for us this season, and today we played very tensely in the first half. However, we responded exceptionally well in the second half, particularly in defense. We did not allow a formidable team like Fenerbahçe to score points easily in their attacks, and I am proud of my team for their strong performance. They fought admirably today. As I mentioned, it was not an easy week, but I am happy that we closed the double-match week with a win.”