The last game of the year for Prokom Trefl Sopot and visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv finished in favor of the guests with a 59-81 decision in Group B. The game was close until midway through the third period, but a 2-18 run by Maccabi included a stellar performance by Anthony Parker, who led the winners with 19 points and no missed shots. The win lifts Maccabi to a 5-3 record in Group B and the third place, while Prokom drops to 2-6, tied with Armani Milano for last place. Will Solomon helped Maccabi with 17 points, Maceo Baston added 11 and Derrick Sharp had 10. For Prokom, only Goran Jagodnik scored in double digits, reaching the 16 points. Prokom shot three more triples, 31, than two-point shots, 28, and only managed to hit 9 of those.
Tomas Masiulis received the ball underneath to inaugurate the score but Tal Burstein erased the advantage with free throws. Anthony Parker stepped up for a long jumper but Adam Wojcik replied fast as Maccabi defense left holes in the paint. Istvan Nemeth maintained a 5-4 edge for Prokom with a free throw, as the scoring pace advanced steadily. Prokom paid special attention to defend Maccabi's big men as Wojcik nailed a triple for a 10-6 score and Goran Jagodnik copied him to make it 13-6. Maceo Baston flew to catch an alley-oop but Pacesas hit Prokom's third straight triple forcing Maccabi's timeout. Prokom insisted after that from the arc, but now they missed and Maccabi found Parker for an open jumper and Will Solomon added his triple to that to make it 16-15. In a late run, Parker and Sharp found shots to put an end to the first quarter with a 16-19 lead for the guests.
Defenses prevailed when the second quarter started as only Filip Dylewicz scored a free throw in the first two minutes, but Solomon found the answer with his triple for a 17-22 score. The teams exchanged free throws as Parker nailed both attempts to keep Maccabi going. Prokom had problems now in offense and Christian Dalmau, Jamie Arnold and Nikol aVujcic raised the streak to 10 straight free throws as the hosts insisted from the arc shooting their 17th triple. Nemeth finally lifted a layup to allow field goals appear again, and improved the score to 22-32. Jagodnik finally blasted a new triple for Prokom, but Maccabi looked for easier options to keep a steady scoring pace, when Parker nailed a jumper. However, Prokom found a fast 5-0 thanks to a new triple by Dalmau and pulled within 32-34 with which the first half came to an end.
The second half started with a basket for each team including a new triple by Jagodnik that made it a 1-point game, 37-39, but Baston soon replied for Maccabi. But Jagodnik insisted from the arc until he tied the game at 40-40. Maccabi tried to run to change the pace of the game, looking for Parker and Burstein, who soon gave their team a new 4-point lead. Solomon followed the trend for Maccabi, until Dalmau broke the 0-6 run with a free throw. The scoreboard showed 43-48 after Solomon's new layup, while Prokom tried to play with more passes and looking for options inside. But on the other end, Parker and Baston teamed up for 5 fast points and a new double-digit lead, 43-53. Free throws appeared again, three for Prokom, one for Maccabi, that led to the end of the third quarter with a 46-54 score for Maccabi.
Vujcic exploded for 4 straight points and Sharp joined in for with a triple that allowed Maccabi to escape to a fast 48-61. The scoring run of Maccabi continued against a blocked Prokom, and the lead climbed to 20 points, 48-68 when Baston dunked. With a 2-18 run for the guests in money time, Prokom could not react despite Jeff Nordgaard's new triple. Yaniv Green stepped in court to pull a basket-plus-foul as a 51-77 shined on the scoreboard and there were less than 3 minutes left to finish the game. The guests cruised to the final win in the last moments of the game as both teams knew that Maccabi would take the last win of the year in Sopot.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Euroleague.net