By Eurohooops team / info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Tel Aviv trailed even by 18 points (13-31) but overcame that deficit and its many injury problems to ultimately beat Panathinaikos Athens 88 – 79 annd extend its winning streak to 5-0.
Scottie Wilbekin scored a team-high 23 points for Maccabi, including the game-tying 3-pointer for the 74 – 74 and another from way downtown that gave Maccabi a key 84 – 77 lead with 4:18 remaining. The “Yellows” outplayed their opponents 23 – 10 in the final period to get the victory.
“We just fought. Our first quarter was probably our worst this season. But we just wanted to win. We really wanted to fight and really wanted to win,” WIlbekin said to EuroLeague TV. “I had to keep it aggressive. My teammates trusted me and we found a way to get it done.” Maccabi indeed got it done, despite the absences of such players as Omri Casspi, Tarik Black, Nate Wolters and Jon DiBartolomeo.
DeShaun Thomas had a game-high 24 points for Panathinaikos against his former team. The “Greens” held the lead for the entirety of the game until the mid of the fourth period when their opponents pulled off some tremendous defenses to tie the score and then take the advantage.
Othello Hunter (15 points, seven rebounds) made the 86 – 79 and then Panathinaikos missed consecutive wide-open triples. Quincy Acy (eight points, five rebounds, five blocks) later stole the ball to put his stamp at the end of the match after being a major factor in Maccabi’s game-winning defense.
Tyler Dorsey contributed 16 points plus seven assists and five rebounds to Maccabi.
Ioannis Papapetrou added 17 points for Panathinaikos that saw guard Jimmer Fredette getting injured on his shoulder after he committed an offensive foul on Acy.
The biggest test until the next
Maccabi coach Giannis Sfairopoulos agreed that his team faced its greatest test so far this season, considering the injuries and the fact that Panathinaikos built such a big lead early.
“We started really bad without energy and concentration. It was very important that we came back to within three points in the first half,” Sfairopoulos said. “After that, we fought ball by ball, defense by defense, offense by offense, and the last period saw the big heart that the players have allowed only 10 points and scoring 23, I think. That made the difference. I think that [was our biggest test so far] because that was the first time we were down 16 points? I don’t remember exactly – On our home court and it is not easy to recover from that. In the end, we succeeded and I’m very happy. I’m very proud of my players.”
Photo: EuroLeague