In their first home Euroleague game of the 2013-14 season, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Crvena Zvezda Telekom (Red Star) Belgrade 96-82 in front of 11,500 ecstatic fans. Smith and Ingles were top scorers, with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
By Amy Samin
In their first home Euroleague game of the 2013-14 season, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Crvena Zvezda Telekom (Red Star) Belgrade 96-82. Sofo Schortsanitis, who scored 13 points and battled hard on both ends of the court for the entire game, was named game MVP. Devin Smith and Joe Ingles were the top scorers for Maccabi with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Before the game a moving ceremony was held honoring legendary players Lou Silver and the late Jim Boatwright, who were inducted into Maccabi’s Hall of Fame.
Maccabi’s starters were team captain Shawn James, Devin Smith, Ricky Hickman, Joe Ingles and Yogev Ohayon. Maccabi got off to a great start with a pair of treys from Ohayon and Ingles, who also went on to score a deuce each. Halfway through the period Maccabi led 11-6. Much of the second half of the period belonged to Sofo Schortsanitis, who scored seven straight points and showed a lot of hustle in transition. David Blu delivered one of his patented catch and shoots from the top of the arc to end the period with Maccabi leading 21-14.
After a slow start in the first minute and a half of the second quarter, Blu and Smith both scored from downtown to kick start Maccabi’s offense. Another three by Ingles, from the left corner this time, put Maccabi’s lead in double digits three minutes into the period. Belgrade continued to fight, particularly on defense, but points from downtown by Smith and a pair of buckets by Hickman and Blu made it 37-32 with less than a minute and a half remaining. Sofo added points as well, then made a diving steal that led to a layup on the fast break by Ohayon. Ingles dished to Hickman, again on a fast break, to end the half with Maccabi leading 43-32.
Maccabi came out after the halftime break with guns blazing, as James and Ingles each scored from beyond the arc to make it 51-34 after two minutes. James then scored another three buckets, but Red Star responded with two threes to make it 57-44 halfway through the period. Maccabi continued to dominate, with points from Smith, Ingles (with a slick reverse layup) and a buzzer-bearing three by Ohayon making it 64-48 with just over three minutes left in the period. Points by Hickman, Smith and Ingles were capped with a fantastic stop and pop at the top by Tyrese Rice to end the quarter with Maccabi up 75-56.
The fourth quarter got started with points by Smith and Sofo, who fouled out shortly after. James added points off a dime from Rice, but then he, too, fouled out with 4:23 left on the clock. With both big men gone, Maccabi struggled a bit, but a clutch three by Rice helped keep the home team on track. Smith also fouled out, and Red Star tried their best to take advantage, but one last Blu and shoot on the left wing wrapped things up, and in the end Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv came away with a 96-82 win over Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade.
BOXSCORE
Maccabi: Smith 17 points; Ingles 16 points, 5 assists; Schortsanitis 13 points, 5 rebounds; Blu 11 points; Ohayon and Hickman 10 points; Rice 6 points.
Red Star top scorers: Marjanovic 20 points; Blazic 17 points.
