After an evening of fantastic basketball, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv suffered their first loss in the Top 16, 74-68 to Real Madrid in Spain. Pnini (5 three pointers) and Sofo scored 15 points each.
By Amy Samin
So close! After leading halfway through the fourth quarter, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv was defeated by Real Madrid 74-68 in a dramatic game in Spain. Guy Pnini (5 of 5 from 3 point range) and Sofo Schortsanitis scored 15 points each. Ricky Hickman contributed 11 points and Joe Ingles added 7 points.
Maccabi’s starters were Devin Smith, Ricky Hickman, Alex Tyus, Guy Pnini and Yogev Ohayon. The start of the game was close, with six straight by Tyus making it 6-6 after four minutes. Mirotic and Real then went on a 10-2 scoring run, but Joe Ingles and Sofo Schortsanitis combined for twelve points that closed out the quarter with Maccabi leading 20-19.
The second quarter got underway with a triple by Pnini (assist Sofo), but Madrid went on another scoring run that put them back on top, 28-25 halfway through the period. David Blu tied the score with points from downtown, but the hosts responded, reaching 36-29 before Hickman scored to cut Maccabi’s deficit to 36-32. The period ended the way it had begun, with a three pointer by Pnini that made it 39-35 to Real Madrid going into the halftime break.
The home team extended their lead to eight at the start of the third quarter, but two steals by Sofo, a three by Pnini and points by Smith and Hickman brought Maccabi to within one, 44-43 three minutes into the period. The Spaniards added more points to the scoreboard, but treys by Pnini and Ohayon (assist Smith) made it 50-46 close to the halfway mark. Pnini extended Maccabi’s lead with his fifth three pointer (100% from outside the arc), but Real closed the gap to one as the period ended, 57-56 to Maccabi.
The hosts wasted no time in tying the score at the start of the fourth period, going on to reclaim the lead after three and a half minutes. Points by Hickman, Sofo and Tyrese Rice put the lead back in Maccabi’s hands, 66-64 with less than four minutes left in the game. The Spaniards went on to reclaim the lead, battling their way to a 74-68 victory over Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv.
