Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv continues on Thursday fighting for a EuroLeague playoff berth against the third-seeded Real Madrid at Menora Mivtachim Arena (21:05, Live on Sport5 - Channel 55). The Yellow & Blue enter the 21st EuroLeague gameday after last week's home victory over Baskonia, holding a 9:11 record in the 2020/21 season, sitting just two games back of the 8th seed Zalgiris Kaunas.

Throughout history, Maccabi and Real have played against each other 61 times as the Spanish side holds a 38:23 edge. Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad looks to end a six-game losing skid against Los Blancos. Once again, Sandy Cohen will miss the matchup due to COVID-19. Real arrives in Tel Aviv without Anthony Randolph, who's out for the remainder of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon, while Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez are questionable. 

"We face a very good team, their absences don't hurt their quality to play tough against every team", Said head coach Giannis Sfairopoulos at the pregame press conference. "We need to stay focused on our plan because if you make mistakes, Madrid will punish you quickly, thanks to their experience playing together. We'll need to disorganize their offense, play smart on the defensive end while playing our offensive style and read what their defense gives us". 



The difference between the team in the first matchup to the one coming into tomorrow: "In Madrid, we had a moment we played well, but then when the margin rose over 10 points, we didn't react. Nowadays, having our full roster, we play much better together as a team, and everyone is involved. Then we weren't ready to play as it was too early. We are in a much better condition as a team to face a very good team like Real Madrid". 

Angelo Caloiaro, who scored 12 points in the win last week against Baskonia, spoke about his offensive contribution: "I try to focus on being in the right spot, executing the things we practice. I'm just doing the best I can. The last time we played them, we came off a big win versus Zalgiris, and then we kind of laid an egg, played a bad overall, and in some way, that was a low point for us this season. Now we are playing the best basketball we've played all season, but at the same time, we can be better winning those close ones. We are still not where we want to be, but we are getting close".

Dragan Bender added about the challenges of the bigs: "This year in the EuroLeague, you have seven-footers shooting the ball, some very mobile big men who give a different kind of perspective, a different game. We play with big lineups, Madrid is now playing with huge lineups, so it's definitely a challenge and great to see. There's a beauty in playing all kinds of mismatches on the court, and it's great to be part of that and be part of that style of game". 

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv earned a vital home victory on Thursday, defeating Real Madrid 86:84 in a tight clash between two of the top clubs in Europe that dueled head to head all the way down to the wire. The dramatic victory improved Giannis Sfairopoulos's EuroLeague record to 10:11, as Tyler Dorsey, who came off the bench and straight away caught the hot hand, concluded a heroic night with a career-high 30 points, leading the Yellow & Blue to their second consecutive win in Menora Mivtachim Arena. 

The first quarter didn't go as Sfairopoulos and his squad planned, but a 13:0 run to start the second quarter shifted the momentum and forced the game wide open. Dorsey connected 11 of 14 shots from the field, including two clutch shots in the final minute of regulation, totalling 36 PIR. Another bench piece that provided vital minutes was Othello Hunter, who scored 11 points, while Dragan Bender (9 points) and Scottie Wilbekin, who facilitated the ball tonight, dishing 8 assists and scoring 9 points, showed that Maccabi has much more left in the tank for the rest season.



Game Summary:

Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Angelo Caloiaro, Dragan Bender, and Ante Zizic started for the Yellow & Blue. On the other end, Carlos Alocen, Alberto Abalde, Jeffrey Taylor, Trey Thompkins, and Walter Tavares opened for Los Blancos.

The start belonged to the Spanish side, who opened a quick 11:2 edge with a Tavares slam, which led to a Sfairopoulos timeout. Bender and Tyler Dorsey responded out of the timeout, drilling back-to-back triples, as the American guard added another shot from deep, trimming the visitors lead down to 2, 16:18.

Madrid extended their strong offensive quarter as Abalde (7 points, 5 assists) and Nicolas Laprovittola (6 points off the bench) led a 13:3 stretch opening a 12 point advantage. John DiBartolomeo hit a three-pointer, and Othello Hunter grabbed an offensive board and sealed the first 10 minutes with two inside, 24:33.

The Yellow & Blue bench shifted the momentum stopping Pablo Laso's squad scoreless for the first 3 minutes of the quarter. Dorsey (14 points) beat the shot clock with a baseline floater. Oz Blayzer, with two positive defensive possessions, led to easy points. DiBartolomeo knocked down a mid-range jumper over Jaycee Carroll, completing a 13:0 run giving Maccabi their first lead of the night, 35:33.

Carroll put the Spanish squad on his shoulders, scoring 7 straight points and 9 in three minutes, stopping the hosts run, but DiBartolomeo and Caloiaro regained a one-point edge, 43:42. Thompkins four straight retrieved the lead to the Blancos as Chris Jones laid in two over Tavarez, 45:46.

The contest stayed close in the second half as both sides exchanged buckets while Tyler Dorsey connected two from the free-throw line for his 20th point of the night, 54:52. Bender drilled his third shot from behind the arc, and Dorsey dished back to back assists to Hunter, who took the opportunities and slammed them down, 63:59. Fabien Causeur and Thompkins closed the quarter with 7 straight points, 63:66.



The final 10 minutes couldn't be tighter. Bryant shot in a three, tying the game at 66 as a couple of possessions later, Dorsey converted his 500th career EuroLeague point with a clutch corner triple, 71:70 midway through the period. Wilbekin dished his 8th assist to Zizic, hit a shot from deep, and converted two free throws, giving Maccabi a 2 point margin.

Bryant knocked down a mid-range jumper, but Tavares tallied four points tying the score at 80 with 50 seconds left. Dorsey drove to the basket and laid in two as he was fouled, converting one from the line and later, with 10 seconds left, added a clutch shot from midrange, 85:82. 

The Yellow & Blue could have sealed the deal from the charity strike, but Hunter missed twice, and Wilbekin missed one of two, giving Madrid one last chance, but Yovel Zoosman led to a Carroll turnover. Maccabi beats Real Madrid 86:84.

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