By Amy Samin

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv didn’t let a little thing like securing first place in their group stop them from snagging their eighth consecutive Euroleague win, this time in a dramatic 80 – 76 win over Khimki Moscow.
Jeremy Pargo dazzled the crowd with 18 points and 4 assists, while Guy Pnini was king of downtown with 15 points off 75% shooting from outside the arc and Sofoklis Schortsanitis controlled the paint, contributing 13 points and 4 rebounds.

Doron Perkins, Chuck Eidson, Lior Eliyahu, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, and Jeremy Pargo started the game for the home team, while BC Khimki led off with Keith Langford, Vitaly Fridzon, Benjamin Eze, Kresimir Loncar, and Zoran Planinic.
The game was close in the early minutes, until a layup by Eliyahu put Maccabi up 8 – 7 but left Lior on the floor, having suffered an injury to his lower back.
He left the game to receive treatment and did not return.
When play resumed, Sofo scored one of his patented three-point plays (two and one, assist by Eidson) to make it 11 – 7, and Maccabi went into full court press. Eidson’s fake layup turned assist resulted in a Pargo three, and the home team’s lead went up to seven, 14 – 7.
Maccabi kept up the pressure, and Sofo continued to do battle under the basket.
Fridzon managed to cut the deficit to 17 – 12 in the closing minutes, but the period ended with Maccabi leading 18 – 15.

The second quarter opened with Khimki enjoying the view from downtown, retaking the lead off three-pointers from Raul Lopez and Loncar, 21 – 18 after 2 minutes.
Loncar and Langford continued to score, and after four minutes the visitor’s lead had swollen to eleven, 29 – 18.
Sofo’s two from the foul line stopped the Russian run, but Khimki soon reconnected with the basket.
Pnini and Perkins also scored from the charity stripe, but with two and a half minutes left in the half, Maccabi trailed 35 – 23.
David Blu’s three from the top of the arc shifted the momentum shortly after, and co-captain Tal Burstein’s brilliant save resulted in two from the line by Perk, making it 37 – 28.
Perk also showed his usual tenacity in scrapping for the ball, nearly forcing a shot clock violation on the visitors.
Pargo dropped in a one-handed layup and a rebound by Richard Hendrix (newly returned to the lineup after an illness) on defense prevented a final bucket by Khimki; the teams headed into halftime with the visitors leading 37 – 30.

At the start of the third quarter Maccabi got down to the business of getting back into the game, and thanks to a three from the corner by Blu soon pulled within five, 39 – 34.
Sofo continued to dominate in the paint on both ends of the court, and two nearly identical drives to the basket by Pargo put the score at 45 – 40, with the visitors still leading, after 4 minutes.
Langford, Loncar and Thomas Kelati did their best to keep Maccabi out of the picture, extending their lead to ten in short order, 50 – 40 at the halfway mark in the period.
A three-pointer from Perk in the corner was followed by three from the foul line by Pnini, and the fans could feel the momentum building.
An amazing fake layup turned behind-the-back assist from Pargo to Hendrix for the dunk put Maccabi within two, 50 – 48.
The point difference stayed more or less the same as the teams traded points, until a putback by Hendrix gave Maccabi the lead for the first time since the start of the second period, 54 – 53.
Langford dropped in two from the stripe to re-take the lead, but a special delivery from Pnini in the right corner put Maccabi on top for good, 57 – 55.
Points from the line by Pargo and a block on Langford by Pnini rounded out the quarter, which ended with Maccabi leading 59 – 55.

Maccabi kept up the momentum in the fourth quarter with points from Burstein and a block on Eze by Sofo.
Pnini once again proved that if you send him to the corner, he’ll punish you, with a slick three that set the score at 64 – 57 after three and a half minutes.
Several minutes later, another three from Guy put Maccabi up 71 – 63.
Lopez and Langford tried to get Khimki back in the game to no avail; the final minutes of the game were a symphony of free throws and great defense, and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv came away with their eighth straight Euroleague win of the season, 80 – 76 over BC Khimki Moscow.

Box Scores:

Maccabi: Pargo 18 points, 4 assists; Pnini 15 points; Schortsanitis 13 points, 4 rebounds; Perkins 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal; Burstein 7 points, 4 rebounds; Blu 7 points, 6 rebounds;
Hendrix 6 points, 4 rebounds; Eliyahu 4 points, 1 block; Eidson 5 rebounds, 4 assists.

Khimki: Langford 20 points; Loncar 13 points; Planinic 10 points; Lopez, Fridzon and Eze 9 points each; Kelati 6 points.

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