Crvena Zvezda protects home floor against Maccabi

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade erased a 10-point halftime deficit to remain undefeated at home this season with an 87-84 victory over Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv on Thursday at Kombank Arena, home of the 2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Taylor Rochestie hit what proved to be the game-winner with 15 seconds remaining and DeShaun Thomas, who scored a career-best 28 points, missed a three at the other end that could have revered the result. The result left both teams with 2-2 records. Rochestie finished with 22 points and 5 assists, James Feldeine added 19 points, 8 assists and 4 steals, and Milko Bjelica was 4 for 4 from downtown for 16 points for the victors, who totaled just 6 turnovers in the game. Pierre Jackson added 14 points for Maccabi and Jonah Bolden - who netted 10 points in the first quarter – and Michael Roll scored 11 apiece.

Maccabi faced its first challenge when Jackson was whistled for his second foul just 85 seconds into the contest. Feldeine helped Zvezda to a 7-3 start, but the visitors responded with 7 straight points and – after Feldeine briefly tied the game at 10-10 with a triple – a 6-0 spurt. Bolden fired in his third triple to make it 15-22, but Feldeine’s steal and layup in the closing seconds of the first quarter made it 19-24 after 10 minutes. Rochestie looked to heat up when he buried a long jumper and together with Mathias Lessort narrowed the gap to 28-30. Jackson restored a 7-point Maccabi lead with a triple, but Rochestie’s first three-pointer carried the hosts to 36-37. Norris Cole got his first points and Michael Roll added a jumper as Maccabi re-extended the margin. John DiBartolomeo, making his first EuroLeague start, battled for an offensive rebound that led to a Thomas triple and a 39-49 halftime lead.

Zvezda promptl y halved its deficit through Rochestie and Bjelica, but Jackson kept Maccabi in charge. However Rochestie kept the pressure on and scored twice more to make it 52-54 before Maccabi head coach Neven Spahija requested a timeout. Bjelica nailed a three-pointer and took a steal in for a layup to give his team its first lead since the first quarter, 57-56. Alex Tyus’s put-back put Maccabi back ahead and Bjelica committed his fourth foul late in the third quarter. The big man remained in the game and nailed his fourth three-pointer to give Zvezda a 62-61 lead at the end of the quarter. The lead changed hands again early in the fourth and stood at 66-66 after Cole fed Tyus for a slam. It was level again at 74-74 with five minutes to go after a Feldeine three. The hosts went back ahead after threes by Ognjen Dobric and Rochestie sandwiched a jumper by Thomas. The game was even, 80-80, heading into the final two minutes after a layup by Jackson. It all came down to the final possessions; Rochestie’s finger roll with 15 seconds remaining put the hosts up 86-84 and Thomas missed a potential game-winning three at the other.