Race 3 which opens with the Maccabi that hosts within friendly walls Panathinaikos: today we can write it, given the large number of Israeli fans warming the arena. He wanted us.
The match
There is’ Di Bartolomeo in the quintet for Maccabiwhich starts well, 9-2 and strong defense under the basket – Bonzie protagonist. Lessor and Mitoglou they adjust their aim, they begin to assert themselves under the basket, even if the first misses a couple of baskets that could have helped. James Webb III it’s a factor, two triples, Maccabi leads 25-13 while slowly Nunn also introduces himself to the match – in the 15th minute. Balance reigns, the yellow and blue’s attempts to escape are thwarted by the greens while two perhaps ungenerous fouls towards Webb III take him out of the match.
There game is tensethere is no shortage of controversy towards the referees – their task is not easy tonight, but they still manage to keep the bar straight.
At 15′ there is the first real break of the match, in the sense that the Maccabi advantage remains, extending to +12 on a excellent ball circulation – ride Donciano by Lorenzo for Cleveland’s triple – which frees Nebo for easy 1v0 dunks.
Pana shortens with a partial 8-0 with Nunn with a couple of difficult baskets – first he had forced, shot with 14 seconds on the clock, losing balls. 46-37 at 20′ – 12 baskets out of 18 assisted for the Israelis, only 2 turnovers compared to 6 for Pana. Pana plays badly but he doesn’t succumb.
Second half
Second half which opens with Nebo’s peremptory block on Nunn, who shortly afterwards avoids the unsportsmanlike penalty on a gift from the trio. Pana never scores, extemporaneous solutions from Nunn himself. 11-2 Maccabi, +18 also a little unexpected. 15 of Nebo, Lessor or Mitoglou’s blitzes on Lorenzo are of little use if not to give away relatively easy balls for the man under the basket. Here Maccabi has the demerit of not being able to close the game.
+11 at the end of the third quarter, partial Pana who, as in the second quarter, puts a patch at the end of the quarter. Papapetrou with the triple, the entire attack effectively passes through Nunn/Lessort.
Playing badly, Pana still gets to -7 – Vildoza is the protagonist this evening with threes – Nunn reaches 19 by attacking the basket and earning fouls and Lessor fights and fights under the basket. The Bread remains there, the attack green was born and died from the initiatives of the former Miami Heat. Sloukas meanwhile from Who has seen.
Maccabi brings physicality, Robin Reverent to help Batman Nebo, with Webb III and Cleveland to try to stop the less physical Vildoza and Sloukas himself. 27 points in the last quarter Pana – a couple of WOOW baskets from Nunn – three yellow turnovers in the last three minutes of the game they don’t help and here we come to the very tense ending, https://twitter.com/skweektv/status/1785382269592408377 and Lorenzo’s two free throws – very sweaty in the last few seconds – with a foul by Grant which perhaps could have been avoided, also in light of the excellent defense made. Bad mistake.
Maccabi plays and deserves it, Pana despite Sloukas
Pana that pays for an evening with Sloukas who actually doesn’t show up at the arena (zero points and three assists), very little from a tired Grant – in a couple of situations he seems to be on his feet, in addition to the final error – gray Grigonis, generous game as usual from Lessor who however loses tonight against a five-star Nebo tonight – if Milan actually bought him, it couldn’t have made a better impression. Juancho’s absence is felt under the basket, his rebounding contribution is missing where Pana loses and the last possessions, the two yellow offensive rebounds, a two-ball win by the Israelis leave no doubt on this point. Well Papapetroulittle big surprise this evening.
Maccabi survives and wins: from +18 even the lead slowly dwindles and the last quarter is a pain – here we see the real lack of Baldwin, Lorenzo too alone in creating and all of Blatt’s playmaking limitations under pressure emerge.
Rivero is useful, he does the Aaron Gordon of the situation, keeping the man attached under the basket – who cannot help – cutting behind and finding easy supports. Very good Clevelandobviously in defense, exceptional numbers, warming up the public and increasing physicality as the minutes pass, also against Lessor. Oh and there would also be Bonzie, who laughs and jokes and gets an 18 rating.
What to add? We’ll be here again in 48 hours, the series leans towards Maccabi which seems more mature, more of a team, compared to Ataman’s men linked to the daily moons of his main players.
