An amazing second and third quarters gave Maccabi a comfortable lead as they secured the 99:83 home win
Coach Sfairopoulos’ starting five: Wilbekin, Kane, Caloiaro, O’Bryant and Black. Johnny scored a corner three as Maccabi took the early 7:2 lead. Pangos scored from deep but Kane and Black reacted fast on offense as Black scored a layup enroute of an 11:5 lead. Tomic and Hanga completed a 5:0 run to come within a striking distance. Hanga gave the edge to Barcelona but it was short lived as John-Di and Caloiaro made it 16:14. Roll increased Maccabi’s lead but Seraphin had the final say in the first quarter with the scoreboard showing 23:20.
Zoosman’s great hustle resulted with a wing three by John-Di as the locals’ increased their lead at the beginning of the second quarter (26:20). Wilbekin’s back to back threes made it 32:25. Coach Sfairopoulos’ squad found their rhythm on offense enroute of a 45:27 lead with 04:09 remaining in the first half. The yellow and blue offense fired on all cylinders delivering blow after blow taking the 52:31 lead. John-Di delivered the final dagger in the first half as Maccabi takes the crushing 57:35 lead.
The yellow nation saw their team roaring at the beginning of the third quarter smothering the Catalans on defense while floating and stinging time and again on the offensive end as they increased their lead to 74:40 lead. Heurtel scored from deep but Black kept Maccabi’s lead above 30 (79:45). Maccabi’s fluidity on offense could not be denied in the third quarter as the yellows enter the fourth quarter with an amazing 85:52 lead.
Barcelona started the fourth quarter with a 14:0 run to make it 85:66. The yellows struggled to score and the visitors capitalized as they trimmed Maccabi’s lead to 85:72. Black scored five points to put Maccabi ahead 90:72 with 05:07 remaining in the game. Barcelona tried to make another as they trimmed Maccabi’s lead to 94:79 but Maccabi’s great ball movement found Roll for an open three forcing coach Pesic to call for a timeout (97:79). Pangos made both of his free throws but Maccabi took the 99:83 impressive home win.
