The Yellow & Blue keep the perfect record in the domestic league before the Thursday home matchup against CSKA Moscow. Wilbekin was on F – I – R – E with 30 points (8/14 from 3)
Scottie Wilbekin, Yovel Zoosman, Deni Avdija, Jake Cohen, and Tarik Black opened in Giannis Sfairopoulos’s starting five. Marcus Foster put Holon on the board first with a three-pointer, however, Wilbekin responded with two of his own. Troy Caupin, with a couple of nice plays, gave the visitors a 10:6 advantage that made coach Sfairopoulos take an early timeout. Wilbekin reacted with his third three of the first quarter to cut down the lead to 13:16. Foster continued the purples good start with two buckets inside the paint to give them a 6 point lead. Avdija impressed on both sides of the court, and Tyler Dorsey reduced to 27:30 after the first ten minutes.
Yovel Zoosman opened the second quarter with a shot behind the arc, Black and T.J Klein exchanged buckets that left the visitors on top 34:32. The Israeli champs geared it up on defense, as Zoosman and Cohen were accurate from deep, Avdija finished a fast break with a slam and Dorsey hit two free throws that gave the Yellow and Blue a 46:38 advantage. Guy Pnini stopped the hosts 11:2 run with 5 straight points, on the other end, Elijah Bryant (three-point play) and Dorsey (three-pointer) answered, 52:46 Maccabi. Avdija hit the hosts 8th three of the half, and Foster scored his third shot from deep, 55:51 Maccabi after two quarters.
Malachi Richardson and Foster finished strong under the basket for a bucket and a foul as Cohen scored a layup, 57:57. Wilbekin hit two threes, Avdija scored a sturdy shot for 8 unanswered points, 65:59. Hunter and Zoosman gave Maccabi their biggest lead of the day, 71:62 going into the final quarter.
Howell scored the first two points of the period, and a Pnini three-pointer reduced the Yellow and Blue’s lead, 71:67. Wilbekin hit his 6th and 7th three-pointer, and on the other end, Howell kept Holon in it, 77:71. Wilbekin scored his 30th point of the night to bring the hosts up by double digits, 82:71. Avdija delivered the highlight of the game with a left-handed slam dunk, and Amit Aharoni made his debut, in the end, a convincing 94:76 Maccabi victory of Holon.
