CSKA holds off Maccabi's comeback
CSKA Moscow recorded its second consecutive road win by edging Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 80-84 at Menora Mivtachin Arena on Tuesday. CSKA improved to 18-8 and remained in second place in the standings. Maccabi dropped its fourth straight game to fall to 10-15. Will Clyburn led the winners with 21 points, Darrun Hilliard added 17, Iffe Lundberg scored 12 and Mike James 10 for CSKA. Maccabi got 20 points from Tyler Dorsey and 14 with 10 rebounds from Othello Hunter. Maccabi led 23-21 late in the first quarter but Lundberg and Clyburn fueled a 0-16 run helped CSKA to a 33-51 lead at halftime. Maccabi rallied later to get within 80-82, but Toko Shengelia hit free throws to seal the outcome with 7.3 seconds to go.
Dragan Bender got Maccabi going with a three-pointer. Hilliard struck twice from downtown in an 0-8 CSKA run, but Scottie Wilbekin and Omri Casspi answered with a 7-1 run that gave the hosts a 10-9 edge. A red-hot Hilliard and Nikita Kurbanov each buried one from beyond the arc, but Angelo Caloiaro and Ante Zizic kept Maccabi within 14-15. Joel Bolomboy hit a floater before Casspi gave Maccabi an 18-17 edge. After James and Chris Jones traded jumpers, Tyler Dorsey bettered Clyburn's dunk with a triple. Michael Eric's put-back layup tied it at 23-23 after 10 minutes. Clyburn and Jones each scored in penetration early in the second quarter. Eric silenced the crowd with a huge dunk and James added a driving layup for a 25-29 CSKA lead. Dorsey hit a three-pointer, but Lundberg struck twice from downtown and Clyburn dunked twice and scored in the paint in a game-breaking 0-16 run that Hilliard capped with a layup. Wilbekin and Hunter stepped up for Maccabi, but James gave CSKA a 33-51 margin at halftime.
Hilliard sank a corner triple right after the break, but Dorsey matched it with a three-point play and struck from downtown to give Maccabi hope at 39-56. Bolomboy and Toko Shengelia rescued CSKA, but Hunter and Dorsey kept the hosts close, 43-61. The visitors found a new go-to guy in Eric, who got help from Clyburn to restore a 47-68 lead. Elijah Bryant sank a triple and Hunter added an alley-oop dunk for a 52-68 score after 30 minutes. Hunter kept pushing Maccabi early in the fourth quarter, but Lundberg buried a three-pointer for a 56-71 CSKA lead. Bryant answered with a couple of backdoor layups and Caloiaro added a triple to bring Maccabi within single digits, 63-71. Lundberg insisted from downtown and Clyburn scored twice in the low post, but Caloiaro, Sandy Cohen and Dorsey made it 75-78, with 3 minutes to go. After Hilliard buried a critical three-pointer, Hunter scored in transition to make it 77-81 with 51.5 seconds left. Clyburn split free throws, Dorsey buried a three-pointer and Maccabi fouled on Shengelia with 7.3 seconds remaining. He made both free throws to seal the outcome.
Pivotal performer
Will Clyburn found answers on offense in crunch time and led CSKA with a strong performance. He finished the game with 21 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting plus 5 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 20.
Game-changing moment
After Tyler Dorsey buried a triple to bring Maccabi within 28-29. CSKA kept its opponent scoreless for the next 5 minutes. Meanwhile, Iffe Lundberg struck twice from beyond the arc and Will Clyburn added 8 points - two dunks, a reverse layup and free throws. By the time Darrun Hilliard scored around the basket, CSKA led 28-45 and never trailed after that.
Stellar stat
CSKA protected its paint well, keeping Maccabi to just 17-of-43 two-point shooting (39.5%). On the other side of the floor, the Russian powerhouse hit 16 of 30 shots inside the arc (53.3%).
Did you know?
CSKA is 8-0 in the EuroLeague this season when Darrun Hilliard gets a double-digit PIR and 11-2 when he scores in double digits. He had 17 points and a PIR of 11 in this game.
Next game
Both teams return to action on Thursday, March 4. Maccabi hosts Valencia Basket and CSKA visits Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Euroleague.net