By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With a tremendous third quarter (12-23), Darussafaka Dogus easily beat Maccabi Tel- Aviv on the road (73-84). This was the second victory for the Turks (2-3) in group D, whereas the Israelis suffered a painful defeat (1-4), as the appointment of a new head coach in Avi Even (with Guy Goodes getting fired last Monday) didn’t change the situation at all.
For the winners, Manuchar Markoisvili had 22 points, with Milco Bjelica adding 11 points and eight rebounds, while Taylor Rochestie scored 17 points for the losing squad.
In the beginning, no team could take a significant advantage, as both Maccabi and Darussafaka executed well offensively, with the first quarter ending in a draw (20-20). In the second quarter, the match continued to be a derby, with the Israelis earning a small lead after 20 minutes in the game (39-37).
In the second half, the Turks were dominant. They played very well on both ends of the floor and outscored their opponents 12-23 in the third quarter to claim a seven-point advantage (53-60). Darussafaka retained the lead to double digits (65-75, 67-80), as Maccabi was unable to make a big come-back and, as a result, they earned a much-needed victory on the road, whereas the Israeli team made another mediocre performance and their qualification to the next round will be in serious jeopardy if they continue that way.