Maccabi finished the regular season with a win at Rishon

After 27 long games Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv finished the regular season with a road win at Rishon Lezion that had more of a key moral impact than anything else. Batista and Bynum stayed home due to illness and without them Terence Morris, Vonteego Cummings and Alex Garcia in a huge fourth quarter decided the game in favor of Maccabi.

This was the last game of Rishon in this gym, and the game started with a ceremony to honor the club’s greatest players. Shimon Mizrakhi, Zvika Sherf and Guy Goodess also took part in that ceremony and were accepted in cheers.

Rishon took an early 9-4 lead and after Cedric Banks hit twice from long range it extended to 15-8. Cummings replied with two hits of his own as Maccabi took the lead and finished the first quarter up 22-23.

A 0-6 run early in the second gave Maccabi a 22-29 lead, but Yoni Nir showed big heart and Rishon was back in the game. The lead changed hands until the teams hit the halftime break tied at 42-42.

Both teams weren’t focused in the early minutes of the second half. None was able to make a run as the lead continued to move from one side to the other. Bluthenthal hit from long range, Yotam Halperin showed his skills but Maccabi held just a 65-66 lead after 30 minutes of game.

Morris with a big dunk started the last quarter but it took a few more minutes before the champs took off. In charge of the run was Alex Garcia, who scored 10 points in a row and 13 out of his 15 in the last quarter. Maccabi climbed to a nine point lead, 76-85 and from there Rishon couldn’t come back.

Maccabi: Morris 18 (10 rbs), Halperin 17 (7 as), Vujcic 16, Garcia 15, Cummings 13 (8 as), Bluthenthal 11, Casspi 4

Rishon: Banks 17, Blessingame 13, Kurtz 11, Sha’ashoua 11, Nir 8, Lev 8, Sneed 7, Farkhi 5, Markson 2