Not every win is beautiful, but a win is a win. After the tough loss in Turkey, the team needed a win, anyway it could get it. And that’s what happened with a 60 – 52 win over Kazan and regardless of the chances to make the playoffs, it brought back some of the pride that took a major blow in Istanbul earlier this week.
It wasn’t a pretty game, but the Maccabi team showed fight every step of the way and the 9,100 fans in the building appreciated it. Maccabi led throughout the game, by around 5 – 9 points and held off Kazan’s last minute comeback attempt.
After the halftime lead was cut to only 45 – 42, Andrew Goudelock came off the bench and scored on important possessions to get to 17 total points, that helped calm the Maccabi players and fans down in a highly-pressured situation. A sigh of relief could almost be heard as the final buzzer that ensured an important confidence-booster for the team, ahead of big challenges that are awaiting in both the Euroleague, Israeli league and cup.