Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv finished the Israeli Winner Sal League regular season with a 89-66 win over Greentops Netanya at Nokia Arena. Landesberg was unstoppable, with 32 points; young Ben Altit had 8 points in 11 minutes.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv closed out the regular season in the Israeli Winner Sal League with an 89-66 win over Greentops Netanya. Sylven Landesberg was phenomenal with 32 points (5 of 7 from three point range). David Blu added 12 points, Joe Ingles had 10 points and 6 assists, and young Ben Altit scored 8 points in 11 minutes of playing time. Devin Smith (rest), Alex Tyus (injury) and Yogev Ohayon (sick) were missing from the roster.
Starters for Maccabi were Guy Pnini, Sofo Schortsanitis, Sylven Landesberg, Ricky Hickman, and Joe Ingles. Maccabi opened strong and took an 8-4 lead after a pair of treys by Hickman and Inlges. Netanya took the lead briefly,but a string of points by Sofo and Landesberg, including a steal by the Greek center and a string of passes between Ingles and Landesberg on the fast break ending in a dunk, made it 17-9 close to the halfway mark in the period. Maccabi’s defense closed Netanya down completely, while three pointers by Ingles and Blu took the home team to 27-9 with two and a half minutes left in the period. The visitors added only one last bucket, but the quarter ended with another triple by Blu, 30-11.
The pace slowed a bit as the second quarter got underway, but Maccabi preserved their lead with a dunk and one by young Ben Altit (assist Sofo), 34-15 after two minutes. Sofo dominated the paint and, together with Landesberg and Blu (assist Landesberg) took Maccabi to 42-16 halfway through the period. Maccabi let up the pressure a bit and Netanya took advantage as best they could, but as the teams went into halftime Maccabi’s lead had swelled to 48-24.
Pnini and Landesberg opened the third quarter with two three pointers that brought Maccabi’s lead to thirty, 54-24. Netanya woke up and began chipping away at that lead, making it 58-37 midway through the period. Landesberg, Andrija ?i?i?, Hickman and Rice kept Maccabi’s lead comfortable, and the period ended with the score 71-52.
Maccabi took their time scoring in the second quarter, but once Landesberg got started he went on a one-man scoring run, with two threes and a steal + coast to coast dunk that made it 79-55 at the five minute mark. Another triple and a dunk for Landesberg and a three pointer by Altit wrapped things up for the hosts, and although Netanya scored a flurry of baskets at the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv wrapped up the regular Israeli League season with an 89-66 victory over Greentops Netanya.
