Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv Loses to CSKA Moscow: 76 - 59

By Amy Samin

Maccabi opened with the same starting five as in the previous game: Arroyo, Burstein, Williams, Fisher and Simmons. Opposite them were the players on CSKA’s first string: Holden, Lorbek, Langdon, Khryapa, and Morris.

Both teams looked weak and disorganized in the opening minutes of the game, and after four minutes the Russians had a small lead, 7 – 4. Maccabi’s opening wasn’t brilliant, to say the least, which led Birenboim to put Rodney White into the game for his first minutes on the court in the Maccabi uniform. White and Simmons played assertively, and helped Maccabi close the gap, then tie the game at 11 with three and a half minutes left in the quarter.
The two teams stayed closely matched until a run of four points by Planinic near the end of the quarter put CSKA up 21 – 20.

The game continued to be close in the early minutes of the second quarter, when both teams were especially precise with their offensive passing. Four minutes into the quarter, the score stood at 29 – 28 in favor of CSKA.
An interesting one-on-one situation developed between Morris and White, who was Maccabi’s main play-maker for those minutes.With three and a half minutes left in the half, the score was tied at 32.
Two three-point baskets by Arroyo and Williams brought the score to 38 – 32, Maccabi, with two minutes left before halftime. Eliyahu extended that lead with two free throws, but weak defense by Maccabi on two successive runs by CSKA helped the Russians close Maccabi’s lead to three, 40 – 37. Casspi scored in the final seconds of the half to close out a successful quarter for Maccabi: 42 – 37.

Coach Efy Birenboim kept Casspi and White on the court at the start of the third quarter, but Maccabi saw its lead erased by two quick three pointers by the Russians.Weak defense and unfocussed offense by Maccabi enabled CKSA to open a bigger lead, 51 – 42, while Maccabi failed to score in the first five minutes of the quarter.
Foul trouble kept Fisher on the bench for the remainder of the game.
With three minutes left in the quarter, CKSA was on fire while Maccabi fizzled; with Arroyo scoring the only three points, Maccabi ceased to be a threat to the Russians, who opened a 63 – 45 lead with a minute and a half remaining in the quarter.
Maccabi’s horrible performance continued right up until the end of the quarter, with Maccabi scoring only two more baskets before the whistle. The quarter ended with CKSA leading, 63 – 49.

Maccabi tried to get back in the game at the start of the fourth quarter, with more intensity on defense and points scored by Batista.The Russians weren’t fazed, however, and after some pointers from Messina, who called for a time out, CSKA had extended their lead to 70 – 53, four and a half minutes into the fourth quarter.

Scorers for Maccabi: Arroyo 13 points, White 12, Casspi 8, Simmons and Williams 7 each, Batista 6 (7 rebounds), Hagag, Fisher and Eliyahu 2 points each.

Scores for CSKA: Lorbek 12 points (7 rebounds), Langdon 15, Khryapa 12, Morris 8, Planinic 7, Holden 5, Savrasensko 4, Zisis 3 points.

samintranslations@yahoo.com

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