The French squad utilized their strength in the paint to come away with the victory. Wilbekin’s 25 points weren’t enough. Friday: On the road against Barcelona
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv came to France with a two-game winning streak but couldn’t add on after dropping the game to Villeurbanne, 81:84. The Israeli champions chased the French squad throughout the whole contest and forced a close clash but missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final possession.
In the second half, Scottie Wilbekin showed up great on both ends of the court, finishing the night with 25 points, but the Yellow & Blue dug a deep hole and couldn’t complete the comeback. Dragan Bender (11 points) and Elijah Bryant (12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) each had a solid overall game. The 5:9 Maccabi finish off their 6 game road trip on Friday, playing against Barcelona, leaders of the EuroLeague standings.
Chris Jones, Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Angelo Caloiaro, and Ante Zizic started for Giannis Sfairopoulos’s squad. On the other end, Antoine Diot, Allerik Freeman, David Lighty, Guerschon Yabusele, and Moustapha Fall opened for T.J’s Parker’s unit.
The Yellow & Blue’s points came from deep as Wilbekin and Jones knocked down shots from deep while the French side worked their points inside with Lighty and Fall, 8:8. Wilbekin found a lane to the bucket and converted a three-point possession, Bryant dished an assist to Dragan Bender, who slammed it down and added a triple, as Fall (7 points), Yabusele and Freeman kept working their way in the paint, giving Parker’s squad a 7 point edge.
Ex Maccabi Norris Cole came off the host’s bench, scored 4 points while Bender kept the Yellow & Blue in striking range, collecting 10 first-quarter, 24:30 after 10 minutes of play.
Mathew Strazel hit Villeurbanne’s first triple of the evening, Tyler Dorsey found Othello Hunter beautifully inside for an easy slam, but yet again, Ismael Bako operated close to the rim, opening a double-digit advantage, 26:36. John DiBartolomeo shot in a three-pointer, which cut the edge down to six, but Fall dominated in the paint, leading his team with 13 points, retrieving a comfortable 14 point lead.
Wilbekin converted five consecutive free throws as part of a 7:0 run, 39:46. Cole hit two mid-range jumpers, but Zizic slammed down the final points of the half, 41:50.
Villeurbanne scored 5 quick points to begin the second half. Still, the Yellow & Blue responded, ramping it up defensively as Bryant and Wilbekin scored 9 unanswered points, including tough fadeaway jumpers in the paint, reducing the French lead down to 4, 51:55.
Paul Lacombe hit two important buckets stopping Maccabi’s run, and Cole carried the French to a 6 point edge, but Wilbekin came in for the final shot of the third and drilled a buzzer-beating triple, 64:67.
Dorsey knocked in his second shot from deep, but then the Yellow & Blue were stopped scoreless for over 3 minutes as Amine Noua shot in three straight buckets leading the hosts on a 9:0 stretch, recapturing a double-digit advantage, 67:78. Wilbekin produced 7 of Maccabi’s 11 points, hitting five crucial points and dishing an alley hoop pass to Hunter, who slammed it down, reducing the score down to 2, 78:80.
Cole hit his 6th shot and in the next possession found Noua, who drove to the bucket and slammed it down, giving the French side a 6 point lead with a minute left on the game clock. Bryant missed a deep shot after stealing the ball, but Caloiaro grabbed a decisive offensive board and drew a foul, converting a three-point possession, 81:84. With 10 seconds left, Wilbekin received one final shot, but the ball went left. Villeurbanne beat Maccabi 84:81.
