Despite a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, Maccabi Tel Aviv continued its disappointing European season tonight (Tuesday) when it surrendered at Menora Mivtachim Hall 84:80 to CSKA Moscow in the 27th round of the Euroleague.
The yellows of Yannis Sapropoulos, who wanted to forget the 91:85 to Hapoel Eilat in the league as well as the losses 82:75 to Fenerbahce, 87:68 to Milan and 72:70 to Bayern Munich in the Euroleague and suffered a fourth consecutive loss in the factory, which reduced them to a negative balance Of 15 losses versus just 10 wins and kept them very far from the playoff dream.
On the other hand, after dropping a promising double-digit advantage and being dragged to a close game also in a 74:75 win over Olympiacos in the previous round of the Euroleague, Dimitris Itudis’ Russian star team put together a second consecutive Euroleague victory and established themselves in second place with 18 wins vs. 8 losses.
After a first quarter in which the Yellows managed to keep a close game and even led to episodes, Yannis Sapropoulos’ team lost direction in the second quarter and after a 0:16 run by the Russians fell to a double-digit deficit, which peaked at 22 points at the start of the third quarter. Although the Yellows managed to narrow the gap a bit and reduced it to only 3 in the fourth quarter, they eventually surrendered to the Russians, who completely controlled the game.
First quarter: 23:23
Maccabi Tel Aviv quintet: Scotty Wilbkin, Elijah Bryant, Angelo Cloiaro, Dragon Bender and Ante Žižić.
CSKA Moscow Quintet: Mike James, Darron Hilliard, Nikita Korbanov, Turnika Shangalya and Joel Bolomboy.
Dragon Bender opened the game with a yellow three-pointer, but Darron Hilliard buried two three-pointers, while in the middle of a turn, Shangalya scored twice from the penalty line and CSKA took the lead. Scotty Wilbkin shrank, Shangalya responded with a single free-kick, but Omri Caspi responded and another Wilbkin’s three To Maccabi. Hilliard continued his wonderful shooting ability with another three and Nikita Korbanov added a three of his own that increased to five. Angelo Cloiaro scored twice from the penalty line and Ante Žižić shrank to just one point, but Joel Bolomboy responded and increased to 3. Caspi set a yellow lead with 4 consecutive points, Mike James answered and returned the lead to CSKA, but Chris Jones responded and set another lead for Maccabi. The swing continued with a dunk by Will Claibren, Tyler Dorsey answered with a three, but Michael Eric equalized.
Second quarter: 33:51 to CSKA Moscow
Claiborne set up a Russian lead, Jones responded and equalized, but Eric and James set up a 4-point lead for CSKA. Dorsey shrank with a three, Gabriel Lundberg answered with a three of his own and Claiborne provided 8 straight points, Lundberg added another three and Billiard increased to 17 and completed a tremendous 0:16 run. Wilbkin stopped the crash with a 3-pointer, but James responded with a 4-point move with a 3-pointer and a foul and increased to 18. Othello Hunter shrank with two accurate free throws, James answered twice from the line and set up the half-time score.
Third quarter: 52:68 to CSKA Moscow
Hilliard buried a three and increased to 21, Dorsey responded with a three-point move, but Bolomboy responded and increased to 20 from the penalty line. Dorsey Tomb Three, Bolomboy and Shangalya increased to 22, but Hunter, Dorsey and Cloiaro shrank to 16th. Eric and Daniel Hackett increased to 19, Blazer shrank, but Claiborne buried a three and then increased to 21 with a single free throw. Elijah Bryant shrank to 18 with a three and Hunter reduced to 16 with a dunk.
Fourth quarter: 80:84 to CSKA Moscow
Hunter shrank to 12 by 4 straight points, Lundberg answered with a 3-pointer, but Bryant and a big three by Cloiaro shrank to just 8 in a 7-0 run and breathed new hope. Lundberg buried a critical three and increased to 11, Cloiaro and Cohen’s three shrank to only 6, but Claiborne answered with 4 consecutive points and increased to 10. Hunter Dyke twice from the penalty line, Dorsey buried a big three and Cohen reduced to just 3 and completed a 0: 7 run, Hilliard was able to respond and buried a critical three. Hunter reduced to 4, Claiborne increased to 5 from the penalty line, but Dorsey buried a big three and shrank to just 2 with 13.2 seconds left, but Shangalya answered with two accurate free throws and closed out interest.
