Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has reached the semi-finals of the League Cup after demolishing Maccabi Rishon Lezion at Malha Arena. Blu, Eliyahu, and Sofo were standouts. Maccabi faces Netanya on Wednesday.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has reached the semi-finals of the League Cup after demolishing Maccabi Rishon Lezion at Malha Arena.
Blu, Eliyahu, and Sofo were standouts.
On Wednesday, 13 October at 18:35, Maccabi will face Barak Netanya, who defeated Hapoel Holon 82 – 69.
Maccabi’s starting five were Jeremy Pargo, Richard Hendrix, Lior Eliyahu, Guy Pnini and Doron Perkins.
Maccabi took an early lead in the game but Rishon stayed close, until a three from Pnini on the left wing put Maccabi ahead to stay.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis came into the game after four minutes and scored six straight points, making it 15 – 6, Maccabi.
Excellent defense by Maccabi held Rishon scoreless for over four minutes, until Yehu Orland finally sank a shot.
Maccabi head coach David Blatt rotated in most of his players during the period, very successfully.
David Blu entered the game for Maccabi and was effective no matter where he was, first dropping in a putback under the basket and then sinking a smooth-as-silk shot from downtown off an assist from Chuck Eidson, setting the score at 20 – 9 with two minutes left in the period.
Eidson went on to score in the paint off an inbounds pass, then sent home a three pointer from the left side, 25 – 9 Maccabi.
Rishon Lezion scored four quick points to end the quarter 25 – 13.
A basket by Darrel Tucker for Rishon Lezion started the second quarter, but Maccabi’s defense then held the team in orange scoreless for the next two minutes, while the offense celebrated.
Blu scored again from outside the arc off an assist from Sofo, who was in superb form.
The Greek went on to score his own version of a three pointer with points in the paint and one, and Maccabi co-captain Tal Burstein dropped in a slick trey from the right corner, making it 34 – 15.
Sofo added two plus one off an assist from Eidson, who then went on to dish to Doron Perkins (who gave his usual 110% in the game), whose graceful spin and shoot from the side brought the score to 39 – 16 with six minutes left in the half.
Maccabi’s defense continued their choke hold on Rishon while the offense played like a team that’s been together for years.
Burstein nailed another three pointer off an assist from Hendrix, and Eliyahu dumped in another of his patented one-handed shots in the key, putting Maccabi up 44 – 18.
Even with a positively luxurious 26 point lead, Perkins continued to play like there was only a two point difference, pulling down defensive rebounds and going full-out.
Pargo, who had an efficient and selfless game, dished to Blu in the left corner for a rattling three that brought Maccabi’s lead to thirty, 49 – 19.
That was followed by another shot from downtown by Blu, this time off an assist from Eliyahu with two minutes on the clock.
The half ended with the score 56 – 25.
Maccabi’s third quarter was dominated by the Israeli players, with Burstein giving lessons on how to throw a perfect no-look pass.
Pnini also showed off his skills in that area, dishing a look-away to Eliyahu who slammed it in.
Sofo, Pnini and Burstein each added two points from the charity stripe, and a bomb from Pnini on the right wing gave Maccabi a forty-one point lead, 71 – 30 at the halfway mark in the period.
Meanwhile, Maccabi’s defense continued to impress, allowing Rishon a mere five points in the period.
Yaniv Green came in for Maccabi and added two in the paint, and the buzzer ended the period with the score 77 – 30.
After playing full-throttle for three quarters and racking up an almost fifty point lead, Maccabi eased back a bit in the fourth period.
Team captain Derrick Sharp nailed a three pointer from the right side, taking Maccabi’s lead to an even fifty points, 85 – 35.
Blu contributed yet another bucket from the top of the arc and an assist to Burstein in the paint.
Tucker and company did what they could to mitigate the embarrassment, but a final basket by Hendrix capped off an excellent game for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, who defeated Rishon Lezion by a score of 93 – 54.
Box Scores
Maccabi: Blu 22 points, 9 rebounds; Eliyahu 16 points, 7 rebounds; Schortsanitis 14 points; Burstein 10 points; Eidson 9 points; Pnini 8 points; Hendrix 5 points; Perkins 4 points; Sharp 3 points, Green 2 points.
Rishon Lezion: Tucker 13 points; Clemente 9 points; Orland 8 points; Morgan and Shulman 7 points each; McGhee 4 points; Mitchell 3 points; Hanochi 2 points.
Maccabi head coach David Blatt seemed very pleased with his team after the game, though he admitted the players eased back a bit too much for his liking in the fourth quarter.
“They need to understand that in games like this you can’t relax.”
He added that Maccabi was “more prepared for the league than Rishon.
We have worked and continue to work very hard.
Today we saw a team that knows what it wants.
The question is what will happen when we’re up against stronger teams.”
When asked about Schortsanitis, the coach replied, “Sofo played an outstanding game.
He’s a very particular kind of player; you don’t see a lot of players like him.
It takes time to learn how to play him, and how to create passing situations for him.
He’s a huge factor in our game.”
Lior Eliyahu added, “We were really ready for this game.
It was our first game at home in Israel and we brought all of our strength to it.
I’m happy it ended so well.
I think Rishon is a good team, and the score tonight isn’t representative of what they can do.”
When asked about the new coach, Eliyahu said, “It’s a lot of fun with David.”
A question about whether he was satisfied with his role on the team elicited this response: “I’m part of a team.
I don’t look to see if someone else gets more time than I do.
When I play, I give it my all.”
Rishon Lezion coach Effi Birenboim said, “We didn’t play well, and two of our players only joined the team two days ago.
We need to improve and play a lot better when the league gets underway.
It also wasn’t such a good practice game for Maccabi.
We need to develop in order to do well in the league.
There are things that work against one team that won’t work against a different team.
I hope we’ll be able to do better in the future.”
