Maccabi Tel Aviv started the 2007/2008 Euroleague season with a burst of sound and color from 11,000 enthusiastic supporters in the Nokia arena. Maccabi’s fervent coach, Oded Kattash, received a warm welcome from all present in the stadium. The game against Le Mans commenced after an impressive ceremony to present the players to the crowd.

The French surprisingly started with a 4-0 run and Kattash quickly called a timeout. Vujcic and Halperin added some pace to Maccabi’s game but the French played a consistent game and stayed close at 25-23 to Maccabi after ten minutes.

Maccabi started the second quarter with a basket from Blumenthal who received a smart feed from Eliyahu. Both teams looked confused in the first few minutes of the quarter. Maccabi did not capitalize on Le Mans’s weakness and after four minutes into the quarter, Maccabi had a minimal lead of 30-27. Maccabi then upped the pace with Vujcic who scored a two and Blumenthal a three, finally allowing Maccabi to break free to a 35-27 lead, five minutes into the second quarter.

Le Mans took good advantage of another spate of slack defense and lack of concentration which characterized the Maccabi players throughout the first half to quickly close the gap with a 11-0 run. The first half ended with Le Mans leading 42-41.

The French sported a double-digit lead during the third quarter when Sharp (who else?) scored a critical buzzer-beater three, leaving Le Mans with a 62-57 lead after three quarters.

At the start of the fourth quarter both teams battled without scoring, obviously being advantageous for the visitors. A three from Bogdanovic put the French in the lead at 65-56, two and a half minutes into the quarter. At this stage Maccabi sprang back to life and with the help of a much improved defense, leveled the score with points from Eliyahu and Vujcic to 67-67, four and a half minutes before the buzzer.

Two successful free throws by Halperin and Maccabi were back in the lead. Clancy leveled the score to 71-71. With the French attacking, one and a half minutes before the end, Morris, in no-doubtably the best play of the match, snatched the ball for a fast-break leaving Maccabi in the lead at 73-71. The French could have leveled but the ball was snatched again, this time by Halperin to secure the game. Maccabi won by the skin of their teeth 74-74.

Maccabi: Halperin 18, Vujcic 14, Blumenthal 12, Sharp 11, Eliyahu 9, Morris 6, Fizer 2, Cummings 2.