By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Quincy Acy had his first touch with the ball during the away game of Maccabi Tel Aviv against Olympiacos Piraeus in the mid of the first period and his team down 15 – 9. He drove to the basket, made a wonderful spin move to get an advantage over his defender, veteran forward Giorgos Printezis, and score the layup.
This strong individual play proved to be an early sign that Acy was up for his top EuroLeague performance since he joined Maccabi and a notable improvement in comparison with the mostly unremarkable entrance (save perhaps for one crazy highlight in his debut) he had in the first five matches of his maiden stint in the top competition outside the NBA. This time, the American forward was to be a clear aspect of Maccabi‘s winning equation.
Indeed. Acy proceeded to play some excellent 1 on 1 defense on Printezis and then Nikola Milutinov at the low post. He hustled to get rebounds, provided defensive helps and cleared a lane for teammate Tyler Dorsey to reach the hoop and lay the ball in. In the next play, he threw down a dynamic putback dunk that shook the backboard and gave Maccabi its biggest lead by then, 22 – 29.
With Acy on the floor, Maccabi turned a six-point deficit to eventually an 8-point lead and began assuming control of the game to set the foundations for what would ultimately be a blowout victory.
“It felt good to help the team win,” Acy told Eurohoops. “It felt good to come out here and win. Take a great team win. We played great defense, as a team. We got some transition baskets. As for my game, I knew that, eventually, it would translate,”
Acy continued the same way in the second half to become a key piece in the “wall” that Maccabi erected and prevented Olympiacos from getting in touch with the basket. During the 24:35 minutes Acy spent on the court, the “Reds” scored just 24 points. Overall, the 29-year-old player finished with the outstanding team-high 27 in +/-, while leading Maccabi in defensive rating with 48.0, per Overbasket.com.
His general contribution went beyond the eight points (2/3 2-pointers, 1/4 triples) and team-high eight rebounds which he tallied. He had been scoreless and with just four rebounds in total in the two previous EuroLeague matches.
It was Acy’s most productive game in the season so far and, more importantly, it arrived with a victory on the road. His team’s fourth straight EuroLeague win.
“It’s not about numbers. It’s about getting wins. That’s the most important thing to me. That’s the biggest thing,” Acy said to Eurohoops. “We are on a good stretch right now.
It’s not easy to adapt quickly to the many and varied intricacies of European basketball. Acy, a veteran of 337 NBA games, admitted he needs some time to fully get his rhythm going in what is essentially his first experience outside the USA, barring a game in China.
“It’s an adjustment for me,” Acy said to Eurohoops. “I played a different kind of basketball, a different style of the game for seven years of my career. So, that needs adjustment and that comes with patience.”
“I trust my work. And my coach and teammates have a lot of faith in me,” Acy commented.
So far the EuroLeague experience has been equal dozes challenging and enjoyable for Acy.
“What I love is the respect they show the game here. And I’m having fun playing the game,” Acy said on EuroLeague. “It’s a great competition. High IQ basketball. Great players. They know how to play.”
A return to the NBA is the goal for many former players of the league who compete in Europe. Acy has other things in his mind though and other priorities he prefers to turn his attention to.
“My goal right now is to try to win championships with Maccabi. That’s all I’m focused on. Right now, I’m here fighting with my brothers,”
The more you watch the Maccabi players on the court or their reactions at the bench, the more this camaraderie becomes obvious.
“We all get along very well,” Acy said. “We had a long preseason and we got a chance to bond. To get to know each other. There are a lot of new faces and a lot of great guys. We all fight out there on the court. And that feels good.”
Photo: Seffi Magriso/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images. Video: EuroLeague Basketball.