Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s head coach said after the 88 – 82 win: “It was an outstanding game by both teams.” Ohayon: “It’s a big win for us.” Blu: “It was a great atmosphere.”
By Amy Samin
“The atmosphere here in Nokia Arena was electrifying,” said David Blatt after the game. “It was a game played at a very high level and one that will be remembered for a long time. It’s hard to expect us to play at such a level four times a week. Next week we have a game against Istanbul, which is one of the hardest places to win a game. First we need to rest and concentrate on the game against Ashdod [on Sunday].”
“I said before the game that we worked hard to prepare for this game against Real Madrid. We were sharp and ready because for the last couple of days we put in a lot of effort. Beyond that, the guys really put on a great show and showed amazing character and really raised the roof. Reaching that level of play 3 or 4 times a week isn’t possible, you have to pick the right time to make the big push.”
Blatt went on, “All of Europe saw a game played at the highest level, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating. There’s nothing quite like taking part in a game like this, and – of course – winning it if you can. It was the Euroleague at its finest, for both teams. We had some amazing games last year without some of the players we have now, and there will be more this year.”
Blatt also had plenty of praise for his Greek center, Sofo Schortsanitis: “Sofo was just incredible on both ends of the court. He fought for the ball and even dove for it on the floor a few times. He jumped like a guard and gave all he had. He lifted us all up.”
David Blu said, “It’s a great win for Maccabi. It’s Maccabi basketball – it’s winning these great games, in a great atmosphere, playing hard, guys diving on the ball, making big shots, just grinding it out and winning the game.”
New-to-Maccabi Israeli guard Yogev Ohayon, who played very well, said, “I think we did a great job, it’s a big win for us. We worked hard all week. The entire coaching staff explained how important the game was for us, and how important it was to get the win at home. The crowd helped us a lot.”
Another new player who looked great was Devin Smith, who said, “Tonight we finally got it together. Defensively, we played a forty minute game, instead of sometimes twenty minutes or sometimes thirty minutes. Tonight was a complete game, playing defense from start to finish.”
