By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid beat Maccabi 82-89 in Israel after one more classic battle as the hosts stayed on the game until the end, though Real’s quality was obvious from early on.
During the first half, the visitors had only committed one turnover, in comparison to Maccabi’s 7. After being down 33-46 in halftime, the Israeli team made a mini comeback early in the third period with Victor Rudd soon putting his team ahead with 49-46. Real was scoreless for 5 minutes before reacting. Rudy was there to warm things up for Pablo Laso’s team with back to back shots, giving Real a brief 5 point lead halfway through the final period.
In the final minutes, the Israeli team cut the deficit even to 3 points (82-85), yet Real’s composure was enough to keep them on top of the game.
For the winners, Jaycee Carroll led with 18 points, followed by Rudy Fernandez’s 16. Sergio Llull had a double double with 14 points and 11 assists and Ayon contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds.
For Maccabi, Victor Rudd tried to keep his team close to Real with 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Andrew Goudelock scored 16 points and Sonny Weems 15.