Colson and Nebo set a 7-0 break to start game 3 between Maccabi and Panathinaikos in the strident silence of the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade and after a timid reaction from the Greens 13-9 in the 6th minute, the Israeli team flies into double figures, taking +18 (57-39) at 23′. It seems over, but in the last part of the 3rd quarter Panathinaikos with a 9-0 run manages to reduce the gap to 8 points (64-56), except that a triple by Lorenzo Brown at the end brought the result to 67-56. The momentum of Sloukas and Papapetrou reduces the gap to -6; Brown and Nebo get the +13 but the inertia is on the side of the Greeks who in the 39th minute are about to overturn the score thanks to Nunn’s triples 83-82. Blatt’s foul with 49.0″ sends Lessor to the line, 1/2 and parity. Maccabi’s long action brings Brown to the line with 2.0″ to the siren, and both free throws go in. Ataman timeout, but Nunn misses his last attempt and Maccabi takes a 2-1 lead in the series.
Maccabi TA – Panathinaikos 85-83 (2-1). Boxscore: 22p+9r Nebo, 16p+8as Brown, 13 Colson for Maccabi; 25 Nunn, 17 Papapetrou, 14 Lessor, 10 Mitoglou for Panathinaikos.
