2021-22Regular SeasonRound 8
November 05, 2021 CET: 20:30
Local time: 20:30 BUESA ARENA

Maccabi extends win streak to five with victory at Baskonia

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv extended its winning streak to five games with a strong defensive performance in a 69-87 victory against Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at Buesa Arena. Maccabi was already ahead by nine points after three quarters but put the game away for good with a 2-13 surge in the final frame for a 6-2 record. Derrick Williams paced Maccabi with 21 points while his low post partners Jalen Reynolds and Ante Zizic flexed their muscles with 16 points apiece. Keenan Evans collected 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists and James Nunnally had 12 points. Baskonia has now dropped three in a row for a 3-5 record despite Wade Baldwin tallying 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Simone Fontecchio and Matt Costello both scored 13 points and Landry Nnoko chipped in 10 points in the loss.

Angelo Caloiaro opened the scoring on the break for Maccabi with Rokas Giedraitis hitting at the other end on the next possession. Williams and Reynolds both scored back-to-back baskets as Maccabi was first to pull away at 6-12. After a Giedraitis triple, Caloiaro countered from deep to push the lead to 9-17. Williams continued his strong game with four more points and Maccabi was up 14-21 after 10 minutes. After going 2-of-5 on three-pointers in the first quarter, Baskonia made four straight from deep to start the second frame with Costello hitting twice and Fontecchio converting a four-point play for a 27-21 lead. Reynolds ended the 13-0 run with an inside score after nearly 3 minutes. Maccabi punched right back with a 0-14 surge, featuring seven points from Nunnally and a three-pointer from Evans for a 27-35 cushion. Jayson Granger ended his team’s scoreless stretch of nearly 4 minutes only to see Williams add four more points and the guests led 35-44 at the break.

Baskonia had the better start to the second half with a 7-2 run including a Fontecchio three-pointer to make it 42-46. Maccabi picked up its defense and reeled off a 2-10 run featuring a Williams triple and an Evans and-one to extend the gap to 44-56. With Williams on the bench, it was Reynolds making sure Maccabi was still ahead with four points as the guests were leading 54-63 after 30 minutes. The margin soon grew as Maccabi decided the game for good with a 2-13 run, including three-pointers from Nunnally and Williams as well as a Zizic three-point play for a 58-78 advantage halfway through the fourth quarter. Baskonia would not get closer than 16 points the rest of the way.

Pivotal performer - Derrick Williams feeling more and more at home

Derrick Williams is really settling into his surroundings with Maccabi as he poured in 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting including 3-of-7 from three-point range. He also made both of his free throw attempts. Furthermore, the 30-year-old chipped in 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 26. Williams is playing for his fourth EuroLeague team in as many seasons - after single campaigns with FC Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Valencia Basket - but things are starting to roll for him. He has collected double figures in scoring in five of his last six games including three times going over 16 points.

Maccabi gets job done without Wilbekin

Maccabi was able to push its win streak to five games even though Scottie Wilbekin missed most of the game. The team’s leading scorer limped off the court with 5:29 minutes to play before halftime after an offensive foul as he appeared to bang his leg with a Baskonia player. Maccabi Head Coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos said afterwards that Wilbekin had suffered a sprained ankle. Wilbekin had been solid up to that point, collecting 3 rebounds and 3 assists and 0 points on two misses. He was shown jogging in place with about 6 minutes left in the game - though Maccabi was up by 17 points at that time, so he was not needed and did not return the rest of the game.

Telling numbers - Maccabi holds Baskonia down defensively

Maccabi got the job done defensively as Ioannis Sfairopoulos’ men held Baskonia to just 45.9% on 2-pointers. The guests were also able to force Baskonia into 15 turnovers while losing the ball only 12 times - combined with 21 assists. And Maccabi also controlled the rebounding, grabbing 37 boards compared to 29 for Baskonia, including 12 from the offensive glass. Maccabi additionally did a solid job containing Rokas Giedraitis as he scored just 9 points in hitting 4-of-11 shots in more than 32 minutes.

Jalen Reynolds - Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - EB21
Friday, November 5, 2021
Euroleague.net
Referees: PUKL,SASA; LATISEVS, OLEGS; VILIUS, GYTIS
Attendance: 7284
By Quarter1234
Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz14211915
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv21231924
End of Quarter1234
Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz14355469
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv21446387
Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 BALDWIN IV, WADE 28:04 15 5/8 1/2 2/3   5 5 5 1 3     4 4 18
7 BARRERA, ALEJANDRO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 SEDEKERSKIS, TADAS 17:02   0/1 0/2     1 1 1 1         1 1
9 MARINKOVIC, VANJA 5:58           1 1           1 1 1
11 GRANGER, JAYSON 18:26 4 1/2 0/3 2/2   1 1 4 1       2 2 6
20 FONTECCHIO, SIMONE 31:44 13 0/6 4/5 1/1 1 6 7 2 5 3     1 1 17
23 ENOCH, STEVEN 15:29 5 1/4 1/1     3 3 1   2     4 2 2
24 COSTELLO, MATTHEW 19:53 13 3/4 2/3 1/2 1 1 2     1     5 1 7
31 GIEDRAITIS, ROKAS 32:24 9 3/6 1/5   2 2 4 3   2     1 3 9
35 NNOKO, LANDRY 22:00 10 4/6   2/2 2 2 4 1   1   1 2 1 10
47 KURUCS, ARTURS 9:00                   1     1 1 -1
Team           1   1     2         -1
Totals 200:00 69 17/37 9/21 8/10 7 22 29 17 8 15 0 1 21 17 69
        45.9% 42.9% 80%
Head coach: IVANOVIC, DUSKO
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 WILBEKIN, SCOTTIE 13:18     0/2   1 2 3 3   3     1 2 2
2 EVANS, KEENAN 30:49 14 3/5 2/5 2/3 1 4 5 8   1     3 5 22
4 CALOIARO, ANGELO 27:46 5 1/2 1/2   1 2 3 2 4       2   10
6 WILLIAMS, DERRICK 32:21 21 5/9 3/7 2/2 1 6 7 2 2 1     1 4 26
7 TAYLOR, KAMERON 15:18 3 1/1 0/1 1/2 1   1           1 1 2
8 REYNOLDS, JALEN 18:14 16 6/7 0/1 4/5 2 3 5 1   1     4 6 20
12 DIBARTOLOMEO, JOHN 6:34     0/1   1   1                
14 BLAYZER, OZ DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 COHEN, JAKE 2:35   0/1               1     2   -4
21 NUNNALLY, JAMES 28:36 12 3/7 2/6   1 5 6 4         2   12
23 ZIZIC, ANTE 21:46 16 6/7   4/4 3 1 4 1 1 3 1   1 3 21
99 ZIV, IFTAH 2:43   0/1               2         -3
Team             2 2               2
Totals 200:00 87 25/40 8/25 13/16 12 25 37 21 7 12 1 0 17 21 110
        62.5% 32% 81.3%
Head coach: SFAIROPOULOS, IOANNIS

Head Coaches

IVANOVIC, DUSKO
Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

“They played better, they played easier than us. On offense, they had easy open shots and we had a problem on offense.”

“Maccabi was much better than us tonight. In some moments we competed quite well, but their offensive rebounds and inside game were much better than ours.”

SFAIROPOULOS, IOANNIS
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

“I think we controlled the game from the beginning with our good defense. When you allow the home team to score fewer than 70 points, you get into the game, you control the game. Also on offense we had some moments where we played really good: sharing the ball, playing smart and moving the ball to the best option. I think everybody did a great job and I want to congratulate them.”

“I want to congratulate our players for the complete game that we had tonight. And I’m saying complete because defensively and offensively we were really good in most parts of the game. Defensively we started the game very focused and concentrated and did not allow the home team to score more than 14 points [in the first quarter]. It was also important offensively that we shared the ball - we had 12 assists in the first half and we got a double-digit lead, and although Baskonia scored four threes in a row in the second quarter we stayed focused and we reacted really fast. And we went into the half with a good enough lead. We continued with the same way in the second half. Baskonia tried to react but I think in the last period we controlled the game even better than the third quarter. We got a lead that gave us the game. We had 21 assists and 12 turnovers and also we had 37 rebounds and our opponents had 29. I think we controlled the game in large part because of these numbers. And that’s why I congratulated the players in the locker room. Regarding the situation with Scottie Wilbekin: he sprained his ankle and although he didn’t play after that all the others played for him. I want to thank all the fans that came with us and supported us. Their voices made it to the bench and gave us a lot of support throughout the game. And that is another reason we won. We continue slowly and one step at a time. We need to stay humble and continue to work and improve our game. We are so early in the season and it’s a long season.”

Players

EVANS, KEENAN
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
“The sky’s the limit. If we stay together and we stay level-headed and not get too high from wins, who knows? We just hope we can keep running them off. It was a team effort. Everybody contributed. And that’s why we came out with the win.”
WILLIAMS, DERRICK
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
“I feel great. We won. That’s the main thing. Everybody who came into the game stepped up. Keenan played great. Zizic played great. James played great. Jalen played great. The list can go on. When we play a complete game like this, not too many teams can beat us. That’s how I feel. I was just taking and making good shots with my teammates finding me. That’s the main thing. My teammates believe in me. If I’m open, I’m going to shoot it. If they’re open, we’re going to pass it to somebody who is open. This is just a great win for us. We wanted to come to Spain and get a win and head back to Israel.”