By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the cold Aleksander Nicolic Hall of Belgrade where Maccabi plays with a very limited number of fans in their home games, things were really heated between the Israelis and Olympiacos.
In a derby decided on details, the Greeks won 94-91. Sasha Vezenkov closed the game with 4/4 free throws, and Even Fournier and Nigel Williams-Goss made key three-pointers.
The Reds have a 7-3 record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, while Maccabi is on the opposite side of the spectrum (3-7).
Vevenkov, with 21 points, and Fournier, with 20, were once again the winning side’s top scorers. Nikola Milutinov added 11 points and eight rebounds, while Luca Vildoza and Williams Goss scored 10 points each.
“Maccabi is a very good team, they scored 91 points, so we have to see our defense but at the end of the day it’s a victory”, said Vezenkov after the final buzzer.
For the losing side, Jaylen Hoard had 20 points, Levi Randolph scored 15, Roman Sorkin added 13 and Tamir Blatt had 12 plus eight assists.
A crazy game of runs
Olympiacos led early by 11 (27-16) and despite Maccabi closing the first period with an 8-2 run (29-24), the Greeks kept their advantage with Vezenkov scoring 11 points.
Maccabi continued the push, taking the 39-38 lead, their first of the night, and extending it to six (44-38) with Hoard reaching the 10-point mark three minutes before the end of the second quarter.
Maccabi’s advantage went up to 12 points (53-41) before Shaq McKissic made one of two free throws to end the first half at 53-42 as the Israelis had a 22-4 run.
The hosts led by 13 (57-44) and then Olympiacos took over again for an admirable 30-8 partial score to get a 74-65 lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter, after leading 70-63 at the end of the third.
Hoard and Randolph got a quick 6-0, Maccabi made it again a three-point game (74-71), then a three by Sorkin trimmed the lead to two (76-74) and then to one (82-81) after two free throws by Hoard.
With the game on the line, Fournier scored a big three (85-81), and Nigel Williams-Goss made one more (88-83), his first in the game after three misses, giving Olympiacos the advantage.
Still, with 28 seconds left, Roman Sorkin with one of two free throws trimmed the lead to two again (90-88) after Fournier lost the ball.
Vezenkov was fouled and made two free throws (92-88), but Tamir Blatt with 11 seconds left made the score 92-91 with a three and Vezenkov made two more free throws (94-91) after being fouled again.
Saben Lee had one last chance to send the game to overtime, he missed and finished the game with four points.