WIth the odds stacked against it, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv found a way. And this time, it was no less than heroic. The yellows came back from an 11-point deficit in a jam-packed OAKA in Athens to claim a 91-87 victory in game 1 of the EuroLeague Playoffs, stealing home court advantage and going up 1-0 in the series.
Oded Kattash’s men did it with a big time performance by Bonzie Colson, who scored 10 of his team-leading 18 points in the final period. Lorenzo Brown (16 points) also proved pivotal with a clutch shot in the final minute, with Antonius Cleveland intercepting a Kostas Sloukas pass in the ensuing possession and Josh Nebo sealing the deal from the line.
Making the result even more impressive is the fact the Maccabi star guard Wade Baldwin IV did nnot finish the game after picking up a hamstring injury early in the fourth quarter, hoisting the muscle after scoring his 15th point. He is doubtful for game 2 on Thursday
.
“We came back to our game plan”, explained coach Kattash, “It was all about the defense, and we showed character again. In the last minutes it was big players making big plays. I hope Wade’s injury is not that bad”.
The win means Maccabi remains undefeated against the Greens this season, and the Israeli champs will attempt to remain so after game 2 in an attempt to clinch a Final Four spot in Belgrade next week.
