For the first time in 15 years, the Israeli champions win in Barcelona, ending a ten-game losing streak. Bender led the Yellow & Blue scorers with 15 points
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv recorded a hard-fought 68:67 win over Barcelona in the Palau Blaugrana, registering their first triumph in 15 years in Catalonia’s capital. Giannis Sfairopoulos’s squad displayed an impressive defensive contest, staying within striking range throughout all 40 minutes. In the final moments, the Yellow & Blue showed a lot of fighting spirit, ramping it up defensively, defeating the EuroLeague standings leaders after Scottie Wilbekin dished an alley hoop pass to Othello Hunter slammed it down for the win.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’s star-studded roster couldn’t stop Dragan Bender, who finished with 15 points as Tyler Dorsey added 14 points. Othello Hunter contributed 10 points and five rebounds, Elijah Bryant scored 10 points and five assists.
Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Angelo Caloiaro, Dragan Bender, and Othello Hunter started for the Yellow & Blue. The hosts opened with Nick Calathes, Alex Abrines, Cory Higgins, Nikola Mirotic, and Artem Pustovyi.
Mirotic and Calathes scored the first two field goals, but Maccabi’s defense locked in, tallying six unanswered points, 7:4. Bender shot in three consecutive buckets inside as Wilbekin drove to the bucket and dished an alley hoop pass to Hunter, who slammed it hard with one hand, 13:8.
Omri Casspi entered off the bench, posted his defender for two points, and dished an assist to Ante Zizic, who hooked the visitor’s 17th points as Higgins knocked in back-to-back baskets concluding the first quarter at 17:12.
After a Tyler Dorsey triple, Jasikevicius lifted Kyle Kuric off the Spanish bench, which delivered two straight three-pointers, tying the game at 20. The Yellow & Blue came out of the timeout with a beautiful out play as Wilbekin found Bender, who laid in two, and later added his 10th point after Wilbekin recorded his fifth assist of the half, 28:25.
John DiBartolomeo hit two free throws opening a five-point edge, but in the final two minutes, Mirtoic led the hosts to a 7:0 stretch converting four straight from the charity strike and tipped a last-second shot giving the hosts a 2 point margin at halftime, 30:32.
Rolands Smits and Higgins hit consecutive triples to open the second half, but Maccabi responded as Wilebkin drilled his first three of the game, and Caloiaro scored two baskets in the paint, 37:38. Bryant dished his fifth assist to Bender, who gave the visitors the lead, yet Mirotic, Higgins, and Calathes regained the advantage, 39:44.
Hunter dished an alley hoop pass to Bender, who tipped it in and added one more from the free-throw line as Pustovyi and Dorsey exchanged free throws. Dorsey drilled an important shot from deep for his 10th point, Bryant drew a foul and scored two from the line, but Abrines had the final points of the quarter, 53:54.
The hosts scored the first three points of the quarter, yet Yovel Zoosman grabbed offensive boards, which led to Dorsey’s three-point possession, who continued his good offensive second half. Jones drove to the bucket, laid in with his left hand, and next possession dished an assist to the open Bryant, which gave Maccabi a three-point edge, 62:59. Barcelona came out well after a Jasikevicius timeout, Calathes and Kuric knocked down back to back triples as part of an 8:1 stretch, regaining the advantage, 63:67.
With 1:33 left on the game clock, Maccabi responded with a late surge stopping the hosts scoreless with a lot of fighting spirit. Dorsey and Wilbekin hit from the free-throw line, and Wilbekin dished an alley hoop pass to Hunter, who slammed it home and drew a foul on the play. After missing the bonus, Barcelona went to one last ball with Higgins. Hunter played the guard well on the defensive end, who tried to shoot a triple over him but without success. Maccabi beats Barcelona 68:67 in the Palau Blaugrana.
