Maccabi Tel Aviv’s six-game Euroleague winning streak came to a halt over the weekend as the visiting yellow-and-blue fell to Barcelona 92-89 in dramatic fashion.
In what was a back-and-forth game throughout, Nicolas Laprovittola drilled home a go-ahead triple with five seconds left, while Wade Baldwin came up short with his last-gasp attempt to hand the hosts the victory.
Baldwin scored 22 points, Josh Nebo added 14 points, and John DiBartolomeo chipped in with 12 points in the loss. Jan Vesely and Alex Abrines each scored 17 points, and Laprovittola scored 15 points for Barcelona in the win.
With the defeat, Oded Katash’s squad will finish the regular season in seventh place and will participate in the Play-In tournament, which will determine the final two playoff spots for the quarterfinal round.
With a record of 19-14, Maccabi has one game remaining in the regular season next week against Milano at its home-away-from-home in Belgrade. Its play-in opponent will be determined once the campaign ends.
Maccabi can be matched up against three teams in the 7th-8th Play-In game. Bologna, Baskonia, and Anadolu EFES are all in contention, with the Italian side the most likely opponent. Should the yellow-and-blue win, they will face the second-place team in the quarterfinals, and if it loses, it will play the winner of the 9-vs-10 Play-In contest.
“In the end, it came down to the last play,” Katash said. It was a great move by a great player. We had our chances. We got back into the game two or three times with different lineups. I’m very proud of the players for the way we played. I feel bad for them. They really wanted to win. We have to learn from this experience.”
Nebo also spoke about the game, saying, "It was a tough game today. We fought hard to the end. Both teams played really hard and deserved to win the game. Unfortunately, they hit a tough shot to win the game in the last seconds.
We really wanted to win, but things didn’t go our way in the end. We will learn from this and be better for the next games.”
Laprovittola reflected on the Spanish side's victory: “I think it was not the last shot; it was the whole game. We played against this team with amazing energy at home.
They are playing very, very well, and I think it is a huge win for us. We have to control what we can control. We have to stay [on track], to keep playing our game, and I think we will get chances [to do something special in the playoffs].”
“Sometimes we lost focus,” noted Vesely. “They are a very, very talented team and showed they could punish our lack of focus. But we fought and believed that we could do it and, in the end, ‘Lapro’ hit a crazy shot and we did.
There is still one more round to play. Everything is open, but we are trying our best to finish strong and get the best position.”
Round up of Israeli league games
In Israeli league action, Ness Ziona slipped by Hapoel Beersheba 98-95. A red-hot Isaiah Whitehead led the hosts back in the fourth quarter to take the three-point victory.
Elad Hasin’s squad came out strong with fine play by Yair Kravits, but Mike Lewis and JaKeenan Gant helped Oren Aharoni’s team take a 51-46 lead into halftime. However, following a tight third quarter, Kravits, Tomer Levinson, Rawle Alkins, and Whitehead scored at will to take the razor-thin win.
Kravits finished with 22 points, Whitehead added 21, and Alkins chipped in with 20 for Ness Ziona in the win. Lewis scored 21 points, and Gant added 20 for Beersheba in the loss.
“This was a very important win for us,” Hasin said. “I have to credit the players for their heart and soul that led us to victory. The guys gave it their all and battled to the final whistle. This was different from other games. Tomer Levinson and Yair Kravits were treated, and it was terrific to see them perform.”
Also, Maccabi Ramat Gan downed Kiryat Ata 94-89 to continue its dream season in the first division, as it has guaranteed itself a place in the playoffs.
Isaiah Miles and Mangok Mathiang came out on fire to give Shmulik Brenner’s team an early lead, but James Batemon and Raz Adam kept the game tight throughout the first half as host Ramat Gan took a 41-37 advantage into the break.
Adam Ariel went off from plunging to the delight of the home crowd in the third quarter, but Sharon Avrahami’s side stayed in the game with clutch baskets by Batemon. However, Jordan Cohen scored down the stretch to seal the deal for Ramat Gan to take the victory.