Fueled by an electric atmosphere at Menora Mivtachim Arena, the Yellows defeated the Blancos 100-96 and will take on the French in a best-of-5 series. Brown stood out with 22
It was another unforgettable evening at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Fueled by an electric atmosphere provided by the most passionate fans in Europe, Oded Kattash’s players fought the Blancos with all their hearts. Despite a slow start and a 9-point deficit in the second quarter, Maccabi caught Real and went ahead at the beginning of the second half.
A close third quarter led to a nerve-racking last ten minutes. The Yellows entered the final stretch with a 65-62 lead thanks to a standout performance by Lorenzo Brown (22 points and 6 assists) and a significant contribution from Bonzie Colson and Josh Nebo. Wade Baldwin’s three increased the lead to seven with five minutes left to play, but Real fought back and made it a one-point game. Maccabi had the last possession, but John DiBartolomeo’s missed a possible winning shot.
The overtime started with Lorenzo Brown picking up an injury and leaving the court for treatment. In his absence, the hosts held off Real, with Darrun Hilliard and Roman Sorkin scoring crucial points leading Maccabi to 95-90 and effectively putting the game away.
With today’s victory, Maccabi finishes the Euroleague’s regular season in fifth place, holding the best home record in the competition (15-2). The quarter-finals series will begin on May 25/26, with the first two games to be played in Monaco.
