In a key road victory that upped their record in the Euroleague Top 16 to 3-0, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 87-78. Rice scored 20 points, Smith added 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Ohayon doubled with 10 points and 11 assists.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv claimed a key victory on the road, beating Zalgiris Kaunas 87-78 and improving their record in the Euroleague Top 16 to 3-0. Tyrese Rice, in an excellent game, led Maccabi’s scorers with 20 points. Devin Smith added 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Yogev Ohayon snared a double double with 10 points and 11 assists. Shawn James and Alex Tyus also scored in double figures, with 10 points each.
Devin Smith, Yogev Ohayon, Guy Pnini, Joe Ingles and team captain Shawn James were the starters for Maccabi. The score was close at the start of the quarter, with James and Ingles scoring for Maccabi, but the hosts took a 7-6 lead after three minutes. Zalgiris went on a scoring run that took them to 15-8 until points from downtown by Ricky Hickman put Maccabi within four with less than four minutes left in the period. The hosts went on another run, and points by Alex Tyus, David Blu, Tyrese Rice and Pnini weren’t enough to narrow the gap; 25-19 to Zalgiris as the period ended.
Tyus from the foul line and Blu from downtown put Maccabi within one, 25-24 two minutes into the second quarter. Zalgiris reopened their lead from outside the arc, but a drive in the lane by Rice and points by James (assist Blu) made it 33-29 exactly halfway through the period. A triple by Rice was answered by Dentmon for the home team, and a pair of deuces by James and a bucket by Blu weren’t enough to cut the deficit. The teams went into the halftime break with Maccabi down 46-38.
Smith and Ohayon scored at the start of the half, but Zalgiris built up a comfortable lead until Ohayon, together with Hickman, put Maccabi within three, 55-52 with five minutes left in the period. Tyus gave Maccabi their first lead of the game, 58-57 but the hosts soon reclaimed it. The last minutes of the period were close, and when time ran out the score was tied at 63.
A three by Rice got the fourth quarter started, and a dunk on a fast break by Hickman made it 68-66 after three minutes. Zalgiris kept fighting, taking a three point lead until Ohayon (who reached a double double) and Rice combined to give Maccabi a 76-71 lead with four minutes left in the game. The hosts weren’t able to recover at that point, and Rice sealed the deal with a triple at the buzzer that gave Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv an 87-78 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas, upping their Top 16 record to 3-0.
