Behind a tremendous defensive effort, Dorsey’s crucial offensive board, who later converted two free throws (15) sealed Maccabi’s second consecutive EuroLeague win. Hunter added 13 points as Jones contributed 10 points
Othello Hunter led the rally with great play on both ends of the court, Chris Jones provided 10 points, and 4 rebounds as Yovel Zoosman made his EuroLeague season debut. Tyler Dorsey finished as the Yellow & Blue’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed a clutch offensive rebound in the late minutes.
For the first time this 2020/21 European season, Maccabi records two consecutive victories, including last week’s win over Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. With the triumph, Sfairopoulos’s squad record improves to 5:8 as next Wednesday they head out to France to face ASVEL Villeurbanne and on Friday, in Barcelona against Sarunas Jasikevicius’s side.
Giannis Sfairopoulos opened with Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Oz Blayzer, Dragan Bender, and Ante Zizic in the starting five as Ivanovic began the contest with Pierria Henry, Tadas Sedekerskis, Rokas Giedraitis, Achille Polonara, and Youssoupha Fall.
Wilbekin knocked down the first points of the matchup, hitting a triple, but Baskonia scored seven unanswered points after Polonara dished twice to his teammates, and Giedraitis took advantage of a Henry steal for easy two.
The Yellow & Blue responded inside the paint, tying the contest at nine aside. The momentum shifted back to the Spanish squad as Polonora drilled seven straight points, closing the stretch with a fastbreak alley-oop slam, 9:18.
Both teams had difficulty finding points, missing shots, and staying scoreless for three consecutive. In the final minute, Chris Jones dished an assist to Bryant, who knocked down a three-pointer from the corner, but Tonye Jekiri beat the first-quarter buzzer, 12:20.
Othello Hunter backed it up with 6 straight points in the paint and from the charity strike while the team stepped it up defensively, providing a four-point differential. Wilbekin and Henry exchanged two-point buckets as Dorsey nailed a corner three, and Zizic scored two straight free throws to close out the first half, 37:33.
Baskonia restored the edge early in the third quarter as Fall, Zoran Dragic, and Plonara scored all of the team’s first 10 points of the half, 42:43. The advantage shifted from side to side as Angelo Caloiaro (7 points) and Chirs Jones (5 points) led Maccabi’s side while Fall and Tadas Sedekerskis shot in from the other end, tying the contest at 54.
Zoosman drew a foul with 2 seconds left on the quarter and knocked in both shots from the line, 56:54 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Points were hard to find in the fourth, Jones scored his 10th score of the night, draining a shot from deep, and Wilbekin dished an assist to Hunter, who laid it in 61:56. Peters and Polonara got the hosts back within a one-possession game, but Bryant’s runner and Dorsey’s driving layup gave the Yellow & Blue a 5 point lead, 65:60.
Polonara scored a crucial triple with 1:54 left on the game clock cutting the margin down to two, but Maccabi didn’t allow a point going forward, stopping the Baskonian team on 9 points in the fourth quarter. Dorsey shot in two free throws giving Maccabi a hard-fought road win over Saski Baskonia, 67:63.
