Vonteego cummings, with 18 points and a crucial steal, gave Maccabi the win on day 1 of the Israeli league 90-87
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”><SPAN style=”COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></P><SPAN style=”COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT size=3>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Following the Euroleague opening game, Maccabi started their journey in the local championship league with a trip up north to the Ein Sarah arena to play against Ironi Nahariya. All eyes were on the bench players especially Will Bynum who made his first appearance after a month long injury.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><BR><o:p><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000>A three from Blumenthal and smart play from Vujcic put Maccabi in the lead at 7-2. Bynum was honored with his first minutes of play this season and immediately reciprocated with points and a great feed to Fizer. Maccabi led 22-16 at the end of the first quarter.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”></SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></P><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”>
<P align=center><IFRAME id=player1 align=center marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src=”https://www.maccabi.co.il/MFPlayer.asp?VID=1020″ frameBorder=0 width=409 scrolling=no height=370 bgcolor=”#000000″></IFRAME></P><o:p></o:p></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><FONT color=#000000><BR><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”></FONT></FONT></P><o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Nahariya looked sluggish and Maccabi took advantage to lead by double-digits with Fizer coring 9 points without missing. Towards half-time, Nahariya loosened up with a 9-0 run to close the gap to 42-40 at half-time.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><BR><o:p><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”>Vintigo Cummings was fantastic during the third quarter shooting 2 three and the games picked up to a good pace. </SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-highlight: yellow”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Fledger</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”> and Sharp traded threes and the score leveled at 66-66 after thirty minutes.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><BR><o:p><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Cummings and Bynum took hold of the reins with two dramatic field goals, 88-87 to Maccabi with fifty seconds to go. Nahariya took charge of the last ball but Cummings scored from a great snatch, 90-87 to Maccabi. Nahariya with three seconds to the buzzer had possession of the ball and Maccabi cleverly fouled sending Matan Naor to the free throw line. Naor did not make any difference and Maccabi won another dramatic game 90-87.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><BR><o:p><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Maccabi: Cummings 22, Vujcic 12 (8 rebounds, 5 assists), Bynum 11, Sharp 10, Batista 9, Eliyahu 7, Bluthenthal 8, Casspi 4, Halperin 2.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><BR><o:p><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”><FONT color=#000000><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”>Nahariya: Hill 22, </SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-highlight: yellow”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000>Johnson</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”> 18, </SPAN><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-highlight: yellow”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>O</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”>cokoljic</SPAN></FONT><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”> 11, </SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-highlight: yellow”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000>Fledger</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”> </FONT>10, </SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-highlight: yellow”><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff” color=#000000>Kozikaro</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=”FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial”> 9, Peleg 7, Naor 6, </SPAN></FONT><SPAN><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”>Sukar</FONT><FONT style=”BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff”> 4</FONT>.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
