Maccabi Tel Aviv played their third game in the Aleksandar Nikolic Arena this season, and they secured their second win. They defeated Milano 92:86.
The game started with rare points from Josh Nebo with a mid-range shot. Shavon Shields was precise on the other end. The pace was fast, and both teams found good solutions in offense. Shabazz Napier made a nice shot to make it 16:12. Then followed a series of 6:2 for the “home” team in the Arena. Mirotic hit a three-pointer. There was a series of misses on both sides, but Johannes Voigtmann interrupted it, and then Antonius Cleveland committed an unsportsmanlike foul. Milano took advantage and got back into the game, but Sorkin hit a shot to make it 27-23, which was the score after the first 10 minutes.
We saw quick three-pointers from Lo, Webb, and Colson at the beginning of the second quarter. The shooting spree continued, and it was 37-34 very quickly. Stefano Tonut and Mirotic stood out in this quarter. At the TV timeout, it was 39:38. Baldwin cooled them down a bit with a shot over the hand, and then Sorkin made a great dunk. Milano equalized with points from Shields. A lot happened until the end of the first half; the Italian team took the lead, but Baldwin was fouled on a three-point shot, making it 52:52.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Poythress and Baldwin exchanged points. There wasn’t much defense played, points were exchanged like on a conveyor belt. Tamir Blatt committed an unsportsmanlike foul, the second for Maccabi Tel Aviv. They equalized, then the host made a 4:0 run. “The Pride of Israel” maintained the lead. Sorkin hit a three-pointer from the corner for a seven-point lead. It was 77:70 after three quarters of entertaining basketball.
Sorkin again opened the quarter in a spectacular way. Then Blatt’s three-pointer started working. They reached a 10-point lead. Brown then scored, and Voigtmann responded. Then Rafi Menco hit another three-pointer. Milano followed with a 6:0 run. However, they couldn’t get back into the game. Both teams missed opportunities, and the hosts emerged victorious after Lorenzo Brown’s decisive points.
Wade Baldwin scored 18 points, while Josh Nebo added 14 points. Maodo Lo contributed 13 points, and Shavon Shields scored 12.
Venue: Aleksandar Nikolic Arena
Referees: Peruga, Diffalah, Baena
MACCABI TEL AVIV:MILANO 92:86 (27:23, 25:29, 25:18, 15:16)
Maccabi Tel Aviv: Baldwin 18, Nebo 14p 9s, Sorkin 13, Brown 10, Colson 7, Menco 7, Rivero 5, Webb 5, Blatt 4, Cohen 4, Cleveland 3, Thomasson 2.
Milano: Lo 13, Sheilds 12, Napier 11, Poythress 11, Mirotic 10, Tonut 7, Voigtmann 7, Bortolani 5, Melli 5, Ricci 5, Flaccadori, Hines.