In the team’s fourth preseason game in Europe, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Brose Baskets of Bamberg in overtime 80 – 72. Stephane Lasme and David Bluthenthal did not suit up; Anderson again outstanding with 23 points.
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By Amy Samin
In the first of two games taking place in Germany, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Brose Baskets of Bamberg in overtime, 80- 72.
It was their fourth straight win in pre-season European play.
Stephane Lasme joined David Bluthenthal on the injured list with a strained neck and did not play.
Maccabi’s starting five were Andrew Wisniewski, Alan Anderson, Maciej Lampe, Chuck Eidson and D’or Fischer.
Four minutes into the first quarter Maccabi led, 9 – 8, but the lead kept changing hands.
After a few minutes of play, the Germans had edged ahead, 23 – 16, on their way to a double-digit lead (33 – 23) at the end of the first quarter.
Anderson was the leading scorer with 10 for the period.
Maccabi’s head coach Pini Gershon opened the second quarter with Raviv Limonad, Guy Pnini and Yaniv Green, along with the returning Wisniewski and Eidson.
The switch paid off, and when Doron Perkins came in for Wisniewski, Maccabi closed the gap to 33 – 27 after three minutes.
The Germans didn’t get their first points of the quarter until scoring from the foul line after six minutes, putting the score at 34 – 31. The hosts weren’t fazed by Maccabi’s comeback efforts, and scored four straight points to end the quarter with a 38 – 31 lead.
The second half got underway with Pini putting Eidson, Green, Pnini, Wisniewski and Anderson on the court.
After a minute and a half, the Germans had extended their lead slightly, to 42 – 34.
Maccabi couldn’t get close and at just past halfway through the quarter Brose Baskets led 49 – 40.
The entrance of Lampe in place of Green gave Maccabi a boost in the right direction with four straight points, and Eidson and Wisniewski completed the 6 – 0 scoring run to put Maccabi within striking distance of the lead, 49 – 46 with three minutes left in the period.
However, neither team managed to score in the final minutes; and the third quarter ended with the Germans still up by three.
After three minutes of play in the final quarter Maccabi still hadn’t managed to tie the score, and Bamberg went up 56 – 51.
A three-pointer by Maccabi put the team within four, 58 – 54 with six minutes left in the quarter.
Pini put Gal Mekel, Fischer, Lampe, Eidson and Anderson into the game to see what they could do.
With three minutes left in the game the Germans led 62 – 56.
Lampe helped bring Maccabi within two, 64 – 62 with two minutes left in the game.
With Maccabi down 65 – 62, Lampe missed a shot from under the basket and fouled, but the Germans missed their two free throws.
Raviv Limonad pulled out a huge three-pointer, to tie the game at 65 all.
The Germans couldn’t sink a shot, and Maccabi took possession of the ball with 30 seconds left on the clock.
Maccabi started to roll out a play, but an offensive foul by Green with 12 seconds remaining gave the ball back to the hosts.
But Brose missed their shot and the game went into overtime.
The Germans moved quickly at the start of the extra period, scoring four straight on tough offense and taking the score to 69 – 65.
With two minutes left in overtime, Maccabi took their first lead since the first quarter, thanks to a three-pointer by Alan Anderson, 70 – 69.
Maccabi played well in the closing minutes, increasing their lead to 75 – 69 with four straight points by Eidson, with 30 seconds remaining.
Maccabi hung on to the lead to win a tough, close game by the score 80 – 72.
Box Scores
Maccabi: Anderson 23 points; Eidson 15 points; Lampe 12 points; Wisniewski 10 points; Fischer 7 points; Green 4 points; Limonad 3 points; Mekel, Pnini and Sharp 2 points each.
Perkins played but did not score.
Brose Baskets: Jacobsen 18 points; Roberts 15 points; Elton Brown 12 points.
Sharon Drucker: “There was a great atmosphere; the arena had about 6,000 fans in it.
We got off to a lousy start defensively; we can’t be giving away 33 points in one quarter.
The fact that we only gave up another 39 points the whole rest of the game, including overtime, shows that we tightened up on defense after the first period.
But because of our bad start, we were at a deficit almost the entire game.
But we gradually found our rhythm and improved.
These away games are very good for us; they put us into all kinds of situations that we need to learn how to handle.
When it came down to money time, Eidson came through for us three times.”
Alan Anderson: “It was a tough game, and we won it through team effort.
Eidson was great at the end, Lampe made a couple of terrific shots that helped get us into overtime, and Limonad – wow, what a three-pointer!
I’m really satisfied with my role in the team and the great atmosphere.”
