Zalgiris loses to Maccabi in Belgrade 19
Maccabi Tel Aviv (15-13) came out on top 83-76 against visiting Zalgiris Kaunas (11-17) in the EuroLeague Round 28, after scoring the last 7 points of a game in which the lead had changed hands time and again.
Wade Baldwin paced Maccabi with 16 points, as the home team benefited from a balanced effort on the offensive end with five scorers in double digits. Tamir Blatt scored 11 points while James Webb, Bonzie Colson and Josh Nebo chipped in with 10 each, the latter also racking up 9 rebounds.
At the other end, Keenan Evans netted a game-high 18 points for Zalgiris while Edmond Sumner added 14, but his shooting dried up when the chips were down as he sank 12 in the first quarter. Edgaras Ulanovas amassed 10 points for Zalgiris, which committed 16 turnovers while managing merely as many assists.
It was a rollercoaster from start to finish as Zalgiris wiped out an early 3-8 deficit and gained the upper hand before Maccabi hit back to lead 42-40 at halftime, Zalgiris turned the tide again thanks to aggressive defending and carved out a 60-52 lead late in the third quarter, but the visiting team’s joy was short-lived.
Maccabi jumped into a 72-67 lead midway through the fourth, before Zalgiris conjured a 7-0 run and looked the more likely winner heading into the home stretch. However, it was Maccabi that forced the final twist and had the last laugh, as a pair of turnovers cost Zalgiris dearly in the last minute of the game, with Nebo and Colson sealing the home team’s victory.
Facebook comments