Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded a huge 87:91 away win over Panathinaikos this evening (Tuesday) and went 0:1 in the Euroleague playoff quarterfinal series. The yellows weren’t scared of the opponent who finished the regular season in second place, they weren’t scared of a double-digit deficit either and “stole” the home advantage from the Greeks. It’s still early, but Oded Ketch’s super attacking team tonight took a big step towards their first Final Four since the 2013/14 season. Game number 2 will take place on Thursday, again in Athens.
Maccabi Tel Aviv started the game well, surprising when it used Jail Cohen as an executor (7 points in the first quarter) and produced points from offensive rebounds as usual. Ketch’s attack worked, but on the other side of the court Panathinaikos knew how to get easy shots under the basket and enjoyed a quality shooting night from outside the arc. The Greeks finished the first half 19 of 27 from the field (11/11 for 2 points) and at the end they led 42:50.
In the second half the statistics started to straighten out as they say. The Greeks didn’t score more 3-pointers and Lessor’s points under the basket were not enough for them. Bonzie Coulson came into action and he along with Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown made the difference with cool actions. Baldwin was injured in the last quarter and left, but the momentum was already with the Yellows. Kostas Sloukas, who was great, still managed to lose a critical ball and that’s where it ended. A big victory for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Scorers for Maccabi Tel Aviv: Bonzie Colson 18, Lorenzo Brown 16, Wade Baldwin 15 and 7 assists, Josh Niebo 12 and 8 rebounds, Hasiel Rivero 9, Jake Cohen 7, James Webb 6, Antonios Cleveland 5 , Tamir Blatt 3. Roman Sorkin and John DiBartholomew played and did not score.
Scorers for Panathinaikos: Mathias Lasor 22 (11/4 from the line), Kostas Sloukas 12 and 13 assists, Marius Grigounis 11, Jerian Grant 11, Kostas Mitoglou 9, Lou Valdosa 9, Kendrick Nunn 8, Juancho Hernangomez 3 and 9 rebounds, Panayotis Klaitskis 2.
The moment of truth has arrived. Brown | Official website, Andreas Papakonstantinou / Tourette Photography
Quarter 1
Mitoglou jumped the Elves in the stands with a three-pointer at the start of the game, Baldwin and Nunn got on the board and Panathinaikos went up 2:5. The judges went to watch a long time in a controversial event and then Brown snipe from outside the arc and made it 5:5. Cohen scored 4 consecutive points and transferred the advantage to the yellows, and then added a three-pointer to make it 9:12. Baldwin scored 3 shots from the line later and Maccabi went up to 14:19, but three-pointers by Grigounis and Sloukas kept Panathinaikos in business. At the end of the quarter 25:26 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Wade Baldwin, Maccabi Tel Aviv player Official website, Andreas Papakonstantinou / Tourette Photography
Quarter 2
Blatt’s 3-pointer put Maccabi up 27:29 after it momentarily lost the lead, but at this point Panathinaikos went on a small run of 0:6 and took the lead – although Lesur kept missing from the penalty spot. Baldwin scored another free kick, but the Greeks continued to find the weak points of the yellows under the basket and went up 30:37. Valdosa hit two 3-pointers and Panathinaikos climbed to a double-digit lead for the first time, 32:43. Coulson went into action to wake up Maccabi and bring it down to 44:37, Sloukas responded on the other side with excellent game management and at halftime the scoreboard showed 42:50 for Panathinaikos.
Coulson woke up Maccabi Tel Aviv when it fell behind by double digits Official website, Andreas Papakonstantinou / Tourette Photography
Quarter 3
Baldwin scored the first points in the second half and on the other side Brown committed a third foul relatively early. Sloukas put the Greeks ahead by 10 after a steal and an easy layup and Cohen committed an unsportsmanlike foul which Grigounis translated to 44:56. Good offensive actions by Brown helped Maccabi reduce to 58:51 and later to 60:54, and 5 consecutive points by Cleveland and Rivera later – brought Maccabi closer to 64:59. Nan committed a fourth foul and Webb scored twice from the line, after which both teams missed and lost – and seemed to lack focus, but the Greeks did the job in defense and at the end of the quarter 63:70 for Panathinaikos.
Nivo finishes with two points | Official website, Andreas Papakonstantinou / Tourette Photography
Quarter 4
Baldwin started the last quarter with a move of a basket and a foul and immediately after he squeezed a foul with a shot for 3 and reduced the score to only 70:68. Lesor scored a point, Colson made a three-pointer and tied the game at 71:71. Basket chased basket, with Soor producing points on one side and the yellows remained in the picture – until Coulson and Brown scored two 3-pointers and Maccabi went up 77:81. Baldwin was injured and left the field, but his teammates got the job done with uncompromising defense. Niebo sank a layup and made it 82:87, but Grant hit a three and added a steal on the way to 87:87. Brown scored a valuable basket with 36 seconds on the clock and on the other end Slokas lost carelessly. Nivo added two from the line and in the end 87:91 for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
