Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv secured a key home victory, 78-71 over Rytas Vilnius and took one step closer to qualifying for the Top 16 in first place in Group D. Rice, Hickman and Smith scored 14 points each.
By Amy Samin
In week 9 (and the last home game) of the Euroleague regular season, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Rytas Vilnius 78-71 and took one step closer to qualifying for the Top 16 round in first place in Group D. Tyrese Rice (6 assists), Devin Smith, and Ricky Hickman each scored 14 points. David Blu contributed 11 points, and Alex Tyus (7 rebounds) and Shawn James added 9 points each.
Maccabi’s starters were Devin Smith, Joe Ingles, Guy Pnini, Yogev Ohayon, and Sofo Schortsanitis. The visitors jumped to a quick 9-1 lead in the first two minutes of the game, then continued to dominate as they cruised to 17-3 with less than four minutes left in the period. Smith broke the run with a layup, which was followed by points from Ricky Hickman, team captain Shawn James (bucket and 1) and a classic catch and shoot by David Blu. The quarter ended with the visitors up by eight, 19-11.
First to score in the second period was Tyrese Rice, who drained a three pointer to put Maccabi within five after a minute and a half of action. Points from the charity stripe by Hickman and from downtown by Blu (assist Ingles) put Maccabi within one, 21-20 after three and a half minutes. James scored in the paint, and a fastbreak layup by Rice gave Maccabi their first lead of the game, 24-23 just past the halfway mark. The visitors managed to tie the score twice, but points by James, Rice and Smith (assist Pnini) gave Maccabi a six point cushion, 32-26 with just over two minutes left in the half. Alex Tyus and Smith added points in the final seconds, and the teams went into the break with Maccabi leading 37-32.
The second half got underway with points by Blu and James, making it 43-34 after two and a half minutes. Rytas scored to keep it close, but Hickman, Smith (assist Blu) and Blu scored to open it back up, 49-42 with four minutes left in the period. Two buckets by Hickman (including a slick fadeaway inside the arc) kept Maccabi’s lead comfortable, and Tyus and Ohayon added points to make it double digits, 58-47. The period ended on a bucket and 1 by Smith, 61-51, Maccabi.
Ohayon cruised coast to coast to kick off the scoring for Maccabi in the fourth quarter, but Rytas responded with a 6-0 run that put them within four, 63-59. Rice scored twice and Hickman dished to Smith under the basket to make it 70-60 with just under five minutes remaining. A baseline drive by Hickman was answered by two straight baskets for the visitors, but a perfectly thrown alley oop from Rice to Tyus for the slam put the brakes on a potential run with two minutes left in the game. In the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Rytas Vilnius 78-71 in week 9 of the Euroleague regular season.
